Scottie Scheffler Hit Fairways Like Crazy. His Irons Forgot to Come Along.

Scottie Scheffler got to Shinnecock Hills and apparently left his iron game in the car. The World No. 1 shot a 72 in Thursday’s first round of the U.S. Open, putting him at +2 and tied for 68th. That’s five shots off the lead, so he’s not dead yet. But man, it was a weird day.

Here’s the thing about Scheffler lately: his driving has been the weak spot, and his irons have been the bread and butter. Thursday flipped that script completely. He hit 12 of 14 fairways. That’s insane. But he only hit 9 greens in regulation. According to Justin Ray on X, it’s the first time in 42 rounds where Scheffler hit 12-plus fairways and hit fewer than 11 greens. Usually you get that kind of split from a guy who bombs it and hopes for the best. Not from the most precise ball-striker on the planet.

The front nine was a mess. Bogey on the Par-4 4th, then a quick birdie on the Par-5 5th, then bogey again on 6. Then the 8th hole just kicked him in the teeth with a double bogey. He shot a 38 on the front nine. Shinnecock was playing ruthless in the wind, and the greens were glass, so nobody was exactly lighting it up. Only 15 players finished under par.

The Back Nine Looked More Like Him

Scheffler steadied himself after the turn. Birdied 12, 14, and 17. Seeing a “2” on the scorecard always helps. He played the back nine in 2-under to drag it back to +2 for the day. It wasn’t pretty, but it could’ve been way worse. Keith Mitchell shot a 40 on the front and then a 34 on the back to finish even. That tells you how quickly momentum can swing out there.

With three rounds left, Scheffler is only five back. That’s not nothing. If his irons show up the rest of the week, he can absolutely climb the leaderboard. But if Thursday was a trend and not a fluke, it could be a long weekend. The U.S. Open doesn’t let you fake it.