Scottie Scheffler’s Unexpected Loss Leaves Fans Agitated & Concerned: ‘‘Prison Changes You’

The news about Scottie Scheffler’s arrest sure did create a huge wave in the community. But what surprised the fans was the fact that he came back and hit an impressive 66 on Friday at the PGA Championship. The golfer couldn’t, however, replicate the same on Moving Day, as the unfortunate events finally seemed to have gotten to his head, leading to a sub-par round. The result? He lost one of his impressive achievements.

A post was shared by Golf Digest on their official Instagram handle mentioning how the third round on Saturday “was the first time Scottie Scheffler has made 3 consecutive bogeys or worse in a round since August 11, 2022, at the FedEx St. Jude.” That’s not all. The post even revealed the exact number of days and holes he played between the two (646 days and 2470 official PGA Tour holes), causing many in the community to express their opinions under the post.

At the ongoing PGA Championship, the golfer could only card a score of 73 (+2) on the third day of play, causing him to fall to T24 with an overall figure of 7-over par. He scored a total of five bogeys, five birdies, and a double bogey, the last of which came at the par-4 2nd hole (Winning Colors). The professional, unfortunately, had followed the same path with two bogeys on the par-3 3rd (Honest Abe) as well as the par-4 4th (Mine That Bird), resulting in him breaking the iconic streak after almost two years.

Back in 2022, the current No. 1 golfer in the world had dished out a similar performance at the Thursday round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He carded two bogeys on the par -4 12th and the par-4 13th, followed by a double bogey on the par-3 14th on the front nine. This, coupled with three birdies, allowed him to card a 1-over par 71 at the par-70 TPC Southwind course. Scheffler then made a 68 on Friday, causing him to miss the cut, which was set at -2.

The golf world, meanwhile, wasn’t too welcoming of the professional’s performance. Especially so since he had been detained by the police the previous day and charged with two misdemeanors that still remain unproven: reckless driving and a felony second-degree assault of a police officer. Whether it be a jab at the athlete or his caddy, the community didn’t shy away from vocalizing their thoughts.

Did going to prison change Scottie Scheffler?

“I was pretty rattled, to say the least,” admitted the 2024 Masters champ when asked about the whole incident he was forced to experience. Scheffler also added how he was trembling the whole time as a result of his being afraid; “My body was — I was shaking. I would say in shock and in fear. Coming out here and trying to play today was definitely a challenge.” His confession, coupled with the out-of-the-ordinary gameplay, caused a fan to go ahead and comment, “Prison changes you.” Think that was the end? Well, think again as another follower responded along the same lines; “I’m convinced they released the wrong Scottie Scheffler.”

After the round on Friday, the American had divulged how he had warmed up in the prison cell itself. He said, “I can’t really explain what happened this morning. I did spend some time stretching in a jail cell. That was a first for me,” while alluding to the routine he usually goes through before a game. A user on Instagram, consequently after his third round, responded, “should’ve stretched more in the jail cell.”

The golfer’s usual caddie, Ted Scott, flew home after the second round to attend his daughter’s high school graduation. Scheffler had, thus, asked his longtime friend and PGA Tour chaplain, Brad Payne, to be his backup caddie for the day. “It’s one of my older friends who travels week to week out here,” Scheffler said before adding, “I trust him to rake a bunker more than my buddies.” The fans, even so, did not share the same opinion as they responded; “Crazy how much not having your regular caddie can affect a player,” and “Maybe he should’ve chosen a better one-day replacement caddy than the tour chaplain, eh?”

With just one more day to go, the golfer will surely try to finish in a much better position, or even try to win the event on Sunday. But he has a difficult road ahead of him in order to do that. The fans can only wait and watch!