PGA winner Scheffler admits he failed his driver's test
Scottie Scheffler knew the issue would come up eventually, and the newly minted winner of the PGA Championship found himself answering questions about non-conforming clubs.
Scheffler confirmed on Sunday evening (Monday AEST) that his driver had been tested in the past week and he had to make a change, which didn't prevent him from capturing his third major and first Wanamaker Trophy by five strokes at Quail Hollow Club.
The world No.1 could even joke after the victory that the new driver didn't affect his accuracy on Sunday, when he was hitting to the left.
"No, I think that was my fault," Scheffler said.
PGA Tour players having their drivers tested came to the forefront on Friday, when SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio reported that Rory McIlroy had been forced to switch to a different driver after his favourite TaylorMade weapon was deemed non-conforming in a test conducted on Tuesday.
"So the driver testing is something that regularly happens on tour," Scheffler said. "My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long, I felt like."
The US Golf Association routinely tests driver heads randomly at PGA Tour events and major championships to determine if their spring-like effect is conforming.
"Spring-like effect" refers to the elasticity of the club face, which allows it to spring back upon impact with the ball, much like a trampoline.
A driver that is conforming one week could be non-conforming the next, due to minute changes in the club face as a result of the wear and tear of hitting balls.
Scheffler noted that "with the amount of practice that I do, I felt like I was fortunate for it to last that long".
He credited TaylorMade for having a new driver ready if needed for The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which he also won on May 4 by tying the PGA Tour's all-time scoring record, and the PGA Championship. He hit 35 of 56 fairways in regulation at Quail Hollow and was fifth for four rounds in strokes gained off the tee.
"We were really prepared, so it wasn't that big of a deal,"Scheffler said.
He does take the testing seriously and would like to see changes in the process.
"I would argue that if we're going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them," Scheffler said.
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