Scottie Scheffler is about to be labeled a certified golf bad boy here soon. In the aftermath of his (admittedly baseless) arrest, and a win last week at The Memorial, the world No. 1 golfer is blowing off a little more steam than usual at the U.S. Open.
Normally quite even-keeled on the course — if wildly unconventional and haphazard in his actual move through the golf ball — Scottie is running hot at Pinehurst No. 2 during Friday's second round.
Whereas I or any other weekend warrior frustrated with their game might plumb for something like, "You f*****g idiot, what the f**k are you doing?" after a bad shot, good ole boy Scottie gave us his equivalent of that following a wayward tee shot:
https://twitter.com/NUCLRGOLF/status/1801635679677436150
Most egregious of all, though, and a genuine faux pas, was when Scheffler's flat stick betrayed him to the point where he was compelled to launch it into the air, denting the putting surface in the process.
https://twitter.com/GolfChannel/status/1801606797951635537
It's one thing to get swept up in the moment like Jack Nicklaus when he shot his putter into the air like a rocket upon winning The Open Championship at St Andrews in 1970.
https://twitter.com/TheOpen/status/1087332233281789952
I'd fully expect it from a traditional hothead like Billy Horschel, too. Yup. Billy Ho went full send due to a narrow miss on Thursday. Not quite as comically genius as his meltdown in the 2015 championship at Chambers Bay.
https://twitter.com/garrett_TFE/status/1801369134053327153
...But Scottie Freaking Scheffler going full-on Happy Gilmore on the greens!? I've seen it all. That's almost as shocking as seeing his mugshot. Maybe not "almost" but not too many rungs down. Scottie is such a sweetheart — or so he says! This man might have a vicious, repressed dark side that is only starting to bubble to the surface in the wake of his maiden run-in with the law. Is he a closet career criminal? Only time will tell.
In all seriousness, I'm sure Scottie is still dealing with a lot mentally. Hard to put the experience of being wrongfully arrested in the rearview mirror on the fly. He's been able to do it in spurts and still maintain his dominant form, so for all I know, he's totally fine. Can only speculate from the outside. However, he's also a brand-new dad, and amid a truly historic season, the pressure is on for him to add more majors to his two Masters green jackets.
Whatever the reason for Scheffler's lacking sharpness through almost two rounds, he's in real danger of missing the cut as of now. That said, Pinehurst should only get tougher as Friday goes on. I suspect he'll hang on to stick around for the weekend.
If he does, I'm here for Scottie to "test" a bunker rake for its durability.