What Scottie Scheffler did out of ‘desperation’ at the Players Championship that was Seve Ballesteros-esque

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Scottie Scheffler did not have the third round at the Players Championship he was looking for.

Scheffler’s 69 (-3) on Thursday and 70 (-2) on Friday put him in an excellent position to contend heading into the weekend.

Unfortunately for the world number one, a series of mistakes on Saturday’s back nine have probably ended his chances of making history.

He would match Jack Nicklaus’ record for the most Players Championship victories (three) with a win but he’s now seven shots behind 54-hole leader J.J. Spaun.

One hole was particularly costly to Scheffler’s progress as he did something totally out of character.

• READ MORE: Major-winning PGA Tour player splits from his caddie after disappointing performance at the Players Championship

Scottie Scheffler did something like Seve Ballesteros at the Players Championship

Scheffler is the best, not the most entertaining player in the world. Of course, he regularly plays amazing shots but his game is usually solid and consistent rather than flashy and unpredictable.

Well, he played more like the latter on Saturday afternoon and no shot demonstrated it better than his second at the par-5 16th hole at TPC Sawgrass.

After his tee shot went left and ended up in the pine needles behind a line of trees, Scheffler chose not to ‘take his medicine’ and attempted an audacious hook shot.

It’s safe to say that it didn’t work out as he ended up in the rough and ultimately made a bogey on what is one of the easiest holes on the course.

Paul McGinley could not believe his eyes. He said on Sky Sports Golf: “Is he going for it? I don’t know what he was trying to do there. That was a lot of club it looked like he was hitting there. It’s not in the water but it’s a long way short of the green.”

Three-time European Tour winner Nick Dougherty replied: “It looked like it was a bit of a desperation one. He was trying to force the issue.”

McGinley added: “I agree with that. We’re not seeing a controlled, measured, focused approach we normally do from him. I think he was trying to go for the green there, you know. That’s a Seve-esque kind of shot to pull off, not a Scottie Scheffler style.”

Comparisons to the great Seve Ballesteros are usually complimentary but that wasn’t the case for Scheffler on this occasion – only because it suggests that he’s not playing his own game.

Paul McGinley and Nick Dougherty point out Scottie Scheffler mentality problem

Golf pundits Paul McGinley and Nick Dougherty think that Scottie Scheffler’s mentality isn’t as strong as it was last season.

“It’s easy to poke holes when someone’s not doing what they usually do but he’s not the usual Scottie Scheffler between the ears,” Dougherty said during the third round at The Players.

McGinley responded: “There just seems to be more of an impatience, [he’s] a bit more impetuous, banging the clubs… we’ve seen a little of that and we didn’t see any of that last year. He’s just not in the same mindset that he was.”

Scheffler has shown plenty of frustration in the first three days at Sawgrass and previous tournaments in the 2025 season.

It’s hardly a crisis when he’s in the top 20 without playing too well but his growing irritation is certainly worth keeping an eye on.