Scottie Scheffler is experiencing real problems on the PGA Tour during his first rounds right now.
Scheffler has failed to break par during his first rounds on the PGA Tour for three consecutive tournaments now.
The theme began at the WM Phoenix Open three weeks ago, when Scheffler opened up with a two-over-par 73 before battling back to finish in a tied for third.
The 29-year-old then started the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by shooting a round of even-par 72, before climbing the leaderboard over the next three days and recording a T-4 finish.
Are you concerned about Scottie Scheffler right now?
He is really struggling with his first rounds right now…
Incredibly, the same thing happened on the PGA Tour last week at Riviera, when Scheffler carded an opening round of three-over par 74.
He followed that up with rounds of 68, 66 and 65 to finish up in a tie for 12th at the Genesis Invitational.
Scheffler is actually pleased with his game in general right now but his first round struggles are causing him big problems.
In fact, the first round scores he has shot in the past three tournaments may well have cost him one, two or even three more wins.
So what is really going on? Scheffler is one of the hardest working players in the game and there is hardly ever a time when he gives shots away due to a lack of concentration.
Two reasons why Scottie Scheffler keeps struggling on day one
Firstly, the obvious answer to Scheffler’s first round struggles is that courses on the PGA Tour are much harder in the afternoon.
The greens become bumpier and firmer, while the wind picks up more often than not post 1pm.
Two of Scheffler’s last three first rounds have been afternoon tee times.
And it’s worth noting that the conditions at Riviera last week were incredibly difficult on Thursday.
While it rained in the morning, there was no wind to speak of but that completely changed when Scheffler stepped out onto the course.
The wind was gusting up to 25mph and that obviously made finding fairways and greens very challenging indeed.
However, it made putting almost impossible at times, on Riviera’s tricky Poa annua surfaces. They were extremely bumpy yet exceptionally fast – the worst combination for golfers.
It’s clear to see that Scheffler hasn’t been anywhere near his best since the start of the WM Phoenix Open, but there have been extenuating circumstances, there’s no denying that fact.
Scottie Scheffler has to nip PGA Tour first round woes in the bud
Here’s the thing; perhaps if Scheffler had been handed early morning first round tee times at Pebble Beach and Riviera, the current narrative surrounding him wouldn’t even be a ‘thing’.
It will be interesting now to see whether Scheffler tees off late or early on day one at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in two weeks’ time.
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The wind usually gets up in the afternoon in Central Florida, and the greens at Bay Hill are always firm and fast.
Scheffler has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational twice, and wasn’t handed a late tee time in either of those tournaments on day one.
The key for the 29-year-old world number one will be to come out at the Arnold Palmer Invitational next month and shoot under par in his first round, whether he tees off late or early.
He absolutely has to bury this current narrative now, before it becomes a real psychological problem for him.
While Scheffler probably won’t admit it, he will probably be praying for an early morning tee time when he returns to PGA Tour action at Bay Hill next week.
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