07/10/26 09:46:00
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07/10 09:45 CDT Scottie Scheffler headed for first missed cut in 4 years
Scottie Scheffler headed for first missed cut in 4 years
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
NORTH BERWICK, Scotland (AP) --- Scottie Scheffler was headed for his first
missed cut in nearly four years Friday when he missed two key putts in the
final holes of the Scottish Open, the last from 6 feet that gave him a 2-over
72 and put him two shots outside the cut line.
Instead of trying to make up ground on the weekend at The Renaissance Club,
Scheffler was making plans to head to Royal Birkdale earlier than he expected
to prepare for the British Open.
"Got off to a poor start and after that, I didn't really it close enough to
give myself a bunch of looks," Scheffler said. "That's how you shoot over par."
Scheffler had made 78 consecutive cuts dating to the 2022 FedEx St. Jude
Championship. It was the longest streak on the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods set
the record of 142 cuts in a row from February 1998 to May 2025.
The cut of top 65 and ties was not official until the second round was
completed. Scheffler was tied for 88th when he missed a 6-foot par putt on the
par-3 ninth to fall back to even-par 142.
Strong wind was in the forecast for Friday afternoon that could affect scoring,
though the world's No. 1 player already was looking ahead to his title defense
at the British Open at Royal Birkdale, a links course he has not played.
"A little different than I was planning," Scheffler said. "Figure out how I get
down to Birkdale and go from there."
Scheffler's cut streak included 25 tournaments that had no 36-hole cut. Woods
played in 31 such tournaments during his streak. Byron Nelson held the previous
record at 113 in a row during an era where players had to finish in the money
--- typically the top 20 except the majors and a few other events --- for it to
be considered making the cut.
"It's a little different now with some of the signature events not having
cuts," Scheffler said. "But I don't think I finished outside of the top 20 or
something like that many times this year. I'm definitely proud of the
consistency, and wish I had a couple days over the weekend to make up some
ground."
Scheffler was three shots out of the lead when he started Friday morning. He
missed a 3 1/2-foot par putt on No. 11, his second hole. On the par-5 12th, his
chip out of high grass to a back pin caught a ridge and rolled into a bunker,
leading to a second straight bogey.
He holed a 30-foot birdie putt after making the turn at the par-5 first --- his
only birdie on a par 5 this week --- and had one birdie chance inside 20 feet
over the next five holes.
His last big hope was the par-5 seventh, when Scheffler said he caught a gust
that caused his second shot to come up just short and roll back off the front.
He pitched nicely to 7 feet and missed the birdie chance.
Then, his tee shot on the eighth found a divot in the middle of the fairway and
he hit a clunker low and to the right into a pot bunker. He splashed that out
to 20 feet and holed it for par to keep alive his chances.
"I felt like I needed at least a birdie coming in on my last few holes. I felt
like the cut was going to be 2 or 3 under," Scheffler said. "I know I had to
make the putt on 8 and I had to make birdie, I felt, on 9. Just hit a good iron
shot just a little short."
His 7-iron hit the slope in front of the green with a front pin, his chip was
weak and came up 6 feet short and he missed the putt.
Scheffler also missed the cut in the Scottish Open in 2022 a week before the
Open at St. Andrews. He then missed the cut at the FedEx St. Jude Championship
--- the last year it had a full field with a 36-hole cut --- and had not missed
one since.
"For whatever reason, I just haven't played my best golf on this course," said
Scheffler, who has only two top 10s in his five appearances at The Renaissance
Club.
"It could be one of those things where you just get over jet lag, get used to
new style of golf, new types of grasses, and maybe I just haven't adjusted as
quick, or maybe this golf course just doesn't suit my eye much," he said. "I'll
reflect on that at the end of the year and assess what my plans are going into
next season."
Xander Schauffele had his streak of 72 straight cuts end at Torrey Pines in
January. The longest active streak now belongs to Matt Fitzpatrick at 29 in a
row.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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