Additional Coverage:
- ‘I don’t know what to do’: Scottie Scheffler goes after his caddie during rare meltdown at the Memorial (foxnews.com)
Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 golfer and a player on track for all-time greatness, faced a challenging day Thursday at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. While Scheffler’s 2026 season hasn’t matched the extraordinary heights of his previous years, he remains a dominant force on the PGA Tour.
In 2024, Scheffler appeared unstoppable, capturing major titles including The Players, The Masters, the Memorial Tournament, the Tour Championship, and an Olympic gold medal. He continued his success in 2025 with victories at two majors: the PGA Championship and The Open Championship.
This year, Scheffler kicked off with a win at The American Express, but since then his results have been a mix of strong finishes and near misses. Highlights include top-five placements at the WM Phoenix Open and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a runner-up finish at The Masters, and close calls at the RBC Heritage and the Cadillac Championship. Despite being in contention at the PGA Championship, he was unable to defend his title, ultimately finishing just outside the top spots.
The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, known for its tough course setup, has traditionally been a strong event for Scheffler. He’s won here twice consecutively and has placed third in both 2021 and 2023, underscoring his comfort on this challenging layout.
Thursday’s opening round began well for Scheffler with a solid -2 through the front nine. However, the back nine proved difficult.
After bogeys on holes 10 and 14, Scheffler faced a tough situation on the par-3 16th. His tee shot came up short and landed in the water, resulting in a rare double bogey and visible frustration.
The world No. 1’s reaction was immediate and candid. Speaking to his caddie, Ted Scott, Scheffler expressed his confusion and irritation over the shot and the wind conditions.
“I don’t know what to do. I can’t hear a word you’re saying.
I feel like that was a good shot, now I’m in the water,” he said. He added, “I absolutely flush a seven iron, and we get the wind wrong, and I’m in the water.”
After the round, Scheffler explained the difficulty of adjusting to shifting winds, noting how the gusts changed direction unexpectedly. “If it’s down off the right, that ball’s probably where I hit my wedge shot to.
So just don’t really know what I’m supposed to do there outside of trying to hit a good shot,” he said. “It can be very frustrating sometimes when you feel like you’re hitting good shots and then you’re going to the drop zone.”
Despite the setback, Scheffler rebounded with a birdie on the 17th hole, finishing the day at +1 and six shots behind the leaders. His visible frustration serves as a reminder that even the very best players face tough moments on the course.
As the Memorial Tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Scheffler to see if he can regain his form and continue his impressive legacy at Muirfield Village.