MIAMI – World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler said staying patient was key, as he registered a five-under 67 to join a six-way tie for the lead at the halfway stage of the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 8.
The 2022 Masters champion could have taken sole possession of the lead at Bay Hill but missed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th green.
Nevertheless, his 67 was good enough to vault him alongside Shane Lowry (71), Hideki Matsuyama (70), Russell Henley (69), Brian Harman (68), and Wyndham Clark (66) at the top of the leaderboard on seven-under 137.
Scheffler’s round started inauspiciously with a bogey on the par-four first.
But the American steadied himself with birdies on the fourth and sixth holes to reach the turn at one under for the day.
Another bogey on the 11th dropped him back to level par, but a brilliant eagle on the par-five 12th proved to be the catalyst of his round.
Scheffler notched birdies on the 15th, 16th and 17th holes to move to the top of the leaderboard.
The six-time winner on the PGA Tour was satisfied that his hat-trick of birdies down the stretch put him in the mix.
“I think I just did a great job of staying patient, and just a great finish,” he said.
“There’s a lot of names up at the top of the leaderboard right now. It’s pretty stacked going into the weekend.
“I’m proud of how I finished today to give myself a good chance.”
Scheffler’s guess as to how the weekend will shake out is as good as anyone’s.
“I think it depends on what they do with the greens,” he said. “I saw the wind was going to be up this weekend, so it may be a survival test.”
The cluster of leaders are one stroke ahead of Will Zalatoris (69).
Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy’s hopes of making a charge were stymied after an erratic 70 that included six birdies and four bogeys, to be tied-30th on 143.
But while the four-time Major champion was preparing for the weekend, Tommy Fleetwood and Major winners Matt Fitzpatrick, Adam Scott and Collin Morikawa were among those who failed to make the three-over cut.
Fleetwood, who began the day at one over, saw his round go up in smoke after a disastrous start that left him eight over for the day after just six holes.
The nadir came on the par-five sixth hole, where he posted a quintuple-bogey 10 after finding the water three times.
The Englishman eventually carded an eight-over 80 to leave him nine over after 36 holes, six shots outside the cut. AFP, REUTERS
