Scottie Scheffler finally caught a break at the PGA Championship.
After spending two days complaining about mud balls and bad bounces, the world No. 1 received an absolute gift from the golf gods during Saturday’s third round at Quail Hollow. It couldn’t have come at a better time, either.
Scheffler had just tied the lead at 7 under when he badly mishit his tee shot at the 316-yard eighth hole. His ball sliced well right and appeared headed deep into the woods. But instead of a penalty stroke and potential round-derailing moment, something remarkable happened.
The ball kicked off a tree and bounced back into the fairway, leaving Scheffler just 42 yards from the hole.
It’s the kind of lucky break that can change a tournament. While Scheffler couldn’t fully capitalize — he missed a 9-footer for what would’ve been his fourth birdie in five holes — the alternative could’ve been disastrous for his championship hopes.
The timing is particularly ironic given Scheffler’s comments to reporters just a day earlier.
“It’s always frustrating when you lose shots really just due to a bad break and not really making a poor swing,” Scheffler said Friday.
This time, it was the opposite — a great break after a poor swing. In championship golf, these moments of fortune often balance out, and Scheffler will gladly take this one as he pursues his second major championship of the year.
