Scottie Scheffler faces a challenge if he aims to prolong his streak of top-10 finishes.
This scenario has become a recurring theme over the past two weeks, as the world’s top-ranked golfer had to strategically recover his position at the WM Phoenix Open previously and now confronts a similar situation at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Scheffler, who has consistently placed within the top 10 in 17 consecutive PGA Tour events, has concluded his 54 holes at 11-under par, following a flawless 5-under 67 round.
Just as he did a week ago, he climbed the leaderboard on Saturday. After improving from two shots outside the solo 10th spot to finish T-3 on Sunday at TPC Scottsdale, he is now three strokes behind the top 10.
But does Scheffler truly care?
“I consider 17 straight top-10s a positive outcome stemming from consistent performance,” he shared with reporters during his post-round interview. “Beyond that, it holds absolutely no importance to me.”
Scheffler has recovered after shooting even par in the opening round on Thursday at Pebble, a score two strokes better in relation to par than his start at TPC Scottsdale a week prior. Although he’s displayed moments of frustration throughout both tournaments, his demeanor appears somewhat more composed this week on the Monterey Peninsula — exhibiting more bewilderment at unfortunate bounces than overt anger, unlike his reactions amidst the large desert crowds a week ago.
“I feel like I’m close to achieving something great, but this particular course presents difficulties in certain areas,” he remarked on Saturday, as adverse weather conditions are forecast for the final round at Pebble Beach. “For example, it’s challenging to determine the firmness or softness of various greens. Most have been quite soft, yet there were a couple — like a shot I hit today with a wedge that actually bounced forward unexpectedly — I just couldn’t comprehend how it happened. I misjudged how far the ball would come back on a few occasions.”
When questioned about the weather acting as a key variable on Sunday and its potential impact on his game, Scheffler was straightforward: the cold temperatures would likely prompt him to wear an additional layer for his concluding 18 holes at Pebble.
Does he believe he has a chance to somehow mount a full comeback and win? Last Sunday, such a prospect seemed rather improbable until it unfolded.
“I don’t wish to exclude any possibilities for myself — you should never restrict what you can do,” he stated. “Naturally, I would prefer to be in a stronger position on the leaderboard. But yes, with unpredictable weather, unusual outcomes can occur, and we’ll discover what I can accomplish tomorrow.”