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USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 U.S. Open: Scottie Scheffler appears frustrated on driving range after second round
2025 U.S. Open: Scottie Scheffler appears frustrated on driving range after second round World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is going to make the cut at the 2025 U.S. Open, and while that's nothing to sneeze at, it isn't exactly up to snuff for arguably the most dominant golfer of the past decade. Scheffler shot 1-over 71 on Friday to follow up his 3-over 73 in the first round and he heads into the weekend 4 over, inside the projected cutline but well back of the lead. After finishing his second round, Scheffler wasn't ready to go home (or the Airbnb). Instead, he hit the driving range, trying to tweak whatever it is that seems to be going wrong. Scottie hit just 7 greens but managed a 71 and is out at the range now trying to find it with coach Randy Smith @golfweek — Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) June 13, 2025 Scheffler appeared to be visibly frustrated as he and his coach, Randy Smith, were shown exchanging ideas on the range during Friday's television broadcast. Scheffler entered Oakmont as a significant favorite to win the U.S. Open, having won three of his last four starts on the PGA Tour, including the PGA Championship and The Memorial Tournament. Scottie grinding it out on the range with coach Randy Smith after a 71 on Friday. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 If we've learned anything from Scheffler's performance over the past three or four years, it's that he's never out of it. But he'll need that driving range session to pay off as he looks to go low Saturday in hopes of getting back in contention for his third major championship title. If there are still any questions about whether Oakmont is hard enough, though, well, there's your answer.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Scottie Scheffler is now an elite putter — a problem for the rest of the U.S. Open field
OAKMONT, Pa. — Sitting on a plane from Atlanta to Dallas, Scottie Scheffler and his manager looked at each other, thinking the same thing. It was time. 'You know,' Scheffler said. 'I want to see a putting coach.' In hindsight, this was the critical moment in golf's future. It was August 2023, and Scheffler left the Tour Championship at risk of becoming golf's great wasted opportunity. The conversations kept building, the scrutiny too. The then-27-year-old world No. 1 was becoming so absurdly good that his fatal flaw could no longer be handled with subtlety. From March to August, he finished in the top five of nine of 13 tournaments — one of the most incredible runs of consistency the sport had seen in years — and won none of them. Advertisement With each close call, the sentiment was the same: If Scheffler could putt at just an average level, he'd be the closest thing to Tiger Woods the sport had seen since Tiger's heyday. The other tricky element in this conversation? The manager he was looking at, Blake Smith, was the son of Scheffler's lifelong coach. Randy Smith had helped mold Scheffler from a precocious little 7-year-old at Royal Oaks Country Club to one of the best ball strikers in golf history. These dynamics can be tricky. 'I think that's a good idea,' Blake said. 'Let's talk to Randy.' Soon after, a call went out to a coaching great, Englishman Phil Kenyon. A week after that, Kenyon visited with the Scheffler team in Texas. Less than two years later, there's a quiet little storyline developing in golf. One nobody quite wants to say out loud. Scheffler hasn't just improved at putting. He's one of the best on the PGA Tour. The faintest echo can be heard in the Pennsylvania hills this week — the rest of golf admitting, 'All hope is lost.' No, really. By spring 2024, Scheffler's work with Kenyon and the decision to switch to a mallet putter led to him putting at a marginally above average level all season. The prophecies turned out to be true, as Scheffler won his second Masters, a Players Championship and nine tournaments worldwide in perhaps golf's best season in 20 years. In 2025, Scheffler is one of the 10 best putters on tour. In 12 starts, he's gained more than half a stroke putting compared to the field in seven tournaments, according to DataGolf. At the Masters, he gained 1.22 strokes putting on a week when he drove it poorly. He gained even more in Houston and at the Byron Nelson. Let's get to the crazy part. If we can agree that tee-to-green play is the best marker for an elite player, and you list the top players in the approach category (where Scheffler ranks No. 1), you'd have to go 108 names down the list to find somebody putting better than Scheffler. So he's the best iron player, the third best driver and now the best putter among all the other contenders? Advertisement Of all the players we expect to contend this week at Oakmont, he's statistically the best. 'There was times maybe throughout 2023 where I was arguably working too hard on my putting and putting too much pressure on myself to be perfect out there,' Scheffler said last month. 'I'm a pretty competitive guy, and sometimes when I'm not succeeding at something, it makes me even more excited to kind of fix it. 'But golf is not really a game where you can force things. If you are playing a sport like football or basketball, you can force things based on adrenaline or pushing people out of the way or whatever it is. Golf, I feel like it's more letting the scores come to you. And you have to be a lot more patient, I think, in this sport than you do other ones, especially over the course of a 72-hole tournament.' He found Kenyon, a coach who's done it all, working with a list of major championship-winning clients from Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Gary Woodland to Matt Fitzpatrick, Darren Clarke and Francesco Molinari. That wide range of elite clients is part of what drew Scheffler to the Englishman, because he saw how Kenyon coached different styles. Fitzpatrick lines up his putts while Keegan Bradley doesn't use a line on the ball, for example. 'I could tell that he was open-minded, and that's the type of people I like to work with,' Scheffler said. Much of Kenyon's work with Scheffler has been about freeing Scheffler up to be creative and confident. During his worst putting stretches, Scheffler leaned on his caddie, Ted Scott, to help with reads. Kenyon, on a podcast with Peter Finch, said Scott is a great green reader, but it had unintended consequences. 'I think it was creating some indecision in some of Scottie's reads,' Kenyon said. 'Intuitively, he builds a really good picture of the green. So we helped him tap into his own intuition more easily in terms of his green reading.' Advertisement Simplifying the process was everything. One of the other early changes in 2024 was to stop lining up his putts with the line of the ball. Most golfers use that little black line on the ball to give them a clear direction to aim. 'I think he was getting very line locked by using that,' Kenyon said. That freed Scheffler up to lean on his natural creativity and athleticism. Then came the famous mallet switch, before the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational, after Rory McIlroy said on a broadcast that he wondered if making the switch would help Scheffler's putting woes. McIlroy's comment was not why he switched, but two weeks later, Scheffler did it. And of course, he won Bay Hill by five shots. A week later, he won the Players. Two starts later? A Masters win. Kenyon said the mallet gave Scheffler a sight line and configuration that helped him with his line without using the ball line. 'I think one of the biggest things is giving him clarity in what he's doing that is actually relative to the faults he has,' Kenyon continued. 'I think he'd gone down different roads trying to improve things that weren't wrong. And when you're working on the wrong things you're never really getting to the root of the problem, are you?' Perhaps the most fascinating — and scary for his competitors — element is the constant little changes and evolution since late 2023. First came the change in green reading and the line changes. Then the putter. But before the Hero World Challenge in December, Scheffler debuted a claw grip with his putter. Kenyon said that helped with consistency and stability in release, plus more control of his face. Scheffler won the Hero by six. It keeps going. Scheffler is right-eye dominant, which is part of what makes his golf swing so cool and impressive. NBC analyst Smylie Kaufman said: 'When you start thinking about how he swings the golf club. When you look at it from a face on angle, you see how over the ball he is. When you watch his sternum, everything is kind of out in front of the golf ball and his head is kind of staying in there looking at it a long time, and I think that has a lot to do with his eyesight, so his right eye can be on top of the golf ball.' Sometimes, though, it can lead to setup issues with his setup getting too far left. Advertisement But Kenyon told Kaufman at the PGA Championship that the same concept can lead to setup issues with his putting. He was putting well enough not to address it then — and Scheffler still won by five — but they attacked it before the Memorial, where Scheffler won again by four. So in two years, Scheffler went from the best ball striker of his era, who couldn't putt, to an OK putter to one of the best in the game. We are running out of nitpicks for the world No. 1. There aren't many issues left. Anything Scheffler wants to get better at, he simply does. It's a good thing Scheffler made that call. It's bad for everyone else.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Scottie Scheffler puts arrest drama behind him as he celebrates PGA Championship win with wife and baby
banished his arrest drama in thrilling fashion Sunday as he celebrated victory in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Throwing his hat to the ground, the golfer embraced his wife Meredith and their baby son, Bennett, after his emotional win. One year after his shocking arrest at Valhalla Golf Club, the 28-year-old American obliterated his rivals in Charlotte to finish five strokes ahead of the pack at 11-under. The family of three hugged during a heartwarming moment before Scheffler and Meredith shared a kiss. Scheffler also shared a touching moment with his parents, including his beaming father. 'Words can't describe what we just watched,' his father could be heard saying. 'You are the toughest guy, and the sweetest boy. I'm so proud of you. Thank you for never giving up, Scottie.' Scheffler could then be seen sweetly carrying Bennett around the course after clinching his victory. Later, as he hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy, his coach Randy Smith appeared to get choked up before the golf star described their bond. 'It's tough for me to really put into words what Randy means to me, but he's a special man, and he's taught me everything about the game of golf,' Scheffler said on the CBS broadcast. 'And this is a pretty cool moment for both of us... he definitely is family to me.' The 28-year-old's latest win comes 12 months after he was arrested outside Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky before the second round of last year's PGA Championship. Amid a traffic pileup outside the club - following a fatal accident earlier that morning - the two-time Masters champion was accused of ignoring police orders to pull over his vehicle and instead speeding away, which allegedly dragged Louisville Detective Bryan Gillis to the ground and left him with both minor cuts and torn pants. Scheffler was handcuffed and taken away by cops before his second round and was booked into jail on four criminal charges - including second-degree assault of a police officer. All charges against Scheffler were eventually dropped, though he later took legal action himself after his claim that the incident was simply one big misunderstanding was said to be 'corroborated by the evidence'. After opening this year's tournament with a two-under 69, Scheffler shot a 68 in the second round before a six-under on Saturday saw him open up a three-shot lead heading into Sunday. He was even on the final day of the tournament, which still proved to be more than enough as Jon Rahm - who was level with him at one point on Sunday - faded on the back nine and wound up tied for eighth place. Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau and Davis Riley finished closest to Scheffler at six-under each.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Scottie Scheffler Gets Honest Ahead of PGA Championship Final Round
Scottie Scheffler delivered a stellar performance on Saturday at the PGA Championship, firing a 6-under 65 to grab a three-shot lead heading into the final round at Quail Hollow. The world number one now sits at 11-under-par, ahead of Sweden's Alex Noren (-8), who carded a strong 66 with four birdies in his last five holes. Davis Riley and J.T. Poston are tied for third at 7-under, while Jon Rahm, Jhonattan Vegas, and Si Woo Kim sit a shot further back at 6-under. Scheffler's electric finish an eagle on the driveable par-four 14th and birdies on 15, 17, and 18, helped him pull away in what was a tightly packed leaderboard just hours earlier. Advertisement In his post-round interview, Scheffler, who had started the day three shots behind, credited patience and grit for his strong round. May 17, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Scottie Scheffler shakes hands with Bill Harke, caddie for Max Homa, on the 18th green during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow. Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images 'Yeah, I hung in there really well today,' he said, battling windy conditions and firm greens. 'I just battled really hard. Did a good job of staying patient and hit some nice wind was really gusty today. I think that was probably the most challenging part, and the greens were firming up as well.' Despite a bogey on the first hole, he found rhythm as the round progressed. Talking about his recent work with coach Randy Smith, Scheffler shared, 'It's just a little thing we do to get my hips moving properly through the golf ball… it was a good little swing thought for me today.' When asked about his emotion after birdies on 17 and 18, he chuckled, 'Big emotion for me,' noting it was key to close the round strong. Looking ahead, he added, 'Just more good golf… stay in the present. It's going to take another really good round.' Advertisement With a third major title in sight, Scheffler is firmly in control. Related: $28 Million Golfer Gives Middle Finger to PGA Tour Official
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate committee moves bill to raise property tax on windmills
Feb. 17—dbeard @ MORGANTOWN — A resurrected state Senate bill that would raise the property tax on windmills cleared the Senate Energy, Industry and Mining Committee on Monday, but not without bipartisan opposition. SB 439 brings back to life a bill sponsored last year byt then-Energy chair Randy Smith, R-Tucker. Smith is now Senate president and SB 439 is sponsored by current Energy chair Chris Rose, R-Monongalia. Wind turbines and towers are currently considered pollution control facilities and taxed as personal property at salvage value — 5 % of the original cost based on 79 % of the full value of the property. That 5 % figure depreciates annually. The legislation originated in 2001 and was updated in 2007. SB 439 would change that to tax wind turbines and towers and the attached components as real property. A fiscal note with last year's bill said it would produce $6.1 million in additional annual revenue: $1.8 million for the General Fund, $2.5 million to the county schools and $1.8 million to the county commissions. Chris Hall representing Clear Way Energy — a developer and owner of wind, solar, battery and natural gas projects — stood to oppose the bill. He noted that Clear Way has ongoing contracts with such companies as Toyota and Google to supply green power. Clear Way has 1 gigawatt of wind power in operation and development, he said, with three wind farms in Mineral and Grant Counties, with a total $2.2 billion in current and planned investments, generating $8 million in state and local tax and lease payments. The company, he said, is planning an $800 million repowering project at its Mount Storm facility in Grant Counti, that will produce $60 million in county taxes over the life of project. The tear-down and rebuild plan will result in 54 fewer turbines. It has received wide community support. Another $400 million investment is planned for 2026 in Grant and Tucker counties, he said. "This legislation here would endanger both of those projects, " he said, and undercut the state's reputation for being a stable, reliable business partner. Hall cautioned bill supporters about changing state policies to react to changes in federal policy that fluctuate form administration to administration. Sen. Rupie Phillips, R-Logan, noted that many windmill components come from foreign sources. "The bulk of it's not made in America, we know it." He also said that the tax break isn't offered for coal projects. "In energy, we need to be fair and this isn't fair." Why not put money toward reliable clean coal technology instead of intermittent wind projects ? Sen. Craig Hart, R-Mingo, raised the issue of companies using wind power to meet their green ESG — environmental, social and governance — requirements. Hall responded that the motivation isn't the real issue. "We're providing a type of energy that's in demand." These project provide job and tax revenue. Hart countered that coal makes more jobs. But Hall responded that green companies are investing in current and former coal communities and both types of power can co-exist. "We need every job we can get in West Virginia." They can't stop renewables but they can drive the investment to other states. Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, the sole Democrat on the committee, opposed the bill, citing jobs. Coal provides many jobs, but, "when those jobs have left, who else is coming ?" Sen. Glenn Jeffries, R-Putnam, also opposed it, saing West Virginia has touted itself as an all-of-the-above energy state. This bill could drive out more than $1.2 billion in investment. Businesses look for stability. Some of the conversation hovered around the proportion of wind power in West Virginia and the PJM regional grid. PJM has public policy and fuel economics are driving a capacity shift. Its current fuel mix is 48.4 % natural gas, 22.1 % coal and 18.1 % nuclear. In ht elast half of 2024, wind made up just 3.14 % of its fuel mix. But new PJM interconnection requests reflect the new greener consciousness: 40 % are solar — 2, 200 projects in queue, totaling 109, 397 megawatts. There are 180 wind projects in queue, totaling 22, 012.6 MW. And there are 50 natural gas projects in queue, totaling 7, 566 MW. The committee approved the bill in a voice vote. It heads next to Finance, where it died last year.
