Scottie Scheffler carded a 10-under-par 60 in the second round of the PGA Tour Travelers Championship on Friday, grabbing the lead and narrowly missing a rare 59. The world number one made 11 birdies against a lone bogey to reach 16-under 124 after 36 holes at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Scheffler's Stellar Round
Scheffler needed a birdie at the 18th hole to shoot 59 but missed from just outside 26 feet, settling for par and 60. "I've been a little sharp with my ball striking, found a lot of fairways, gave myself a lot of looks," Scheffler said. "Holed a decent amount of putts as well."
He added: "It was a little tricky. It actually went right to start and there was a ton of break right to left at the end. It was a tough read, but overall it was a really solid day. I was pretty happy with my execution."
Hovland and Bhatia in Pursuit
Norway's Viktor Hovland sits second at 126 after a bogey-free 61, featuring seven birdies and an eagle before pars at 17 and 18. "It was awesome stuff," Hovland said. "It was overall a great round of golf."
American Akshay Bhatia matched his career-low round with a bogey-free 62 to stand third at 128. "Hit it nice off the tee," Bhatia said. "I hit a lot of good golf shots and putted really nice, made some long ones."
Near Miss for 59
Scheffler nearly recorded the 16th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history, 14 of which have been 59s behind Jim Furyk's record 58, shot at the same course in the 2016 Travelers. Scheffler is already a member of the 59 club, having shot that score at the 2020 Northern Trust at TPC Boston. He would have posted only the third 59 with a bogey on the card.
Scheffler's Start and Birdie Run
After starting Friday one stroke off the lead following overnight rain, Scheffler opened with a birdie putt from just beyond 12 feet. He took a bogey at the second when his approach fell short of the green, then answered with an 18-foot birdie putt at the third. Scheffler then reeled off four birdie putts in a row: from just beyond 28 feet at the par-three fifth, a tap-in at the par-five sixth after reaching the green in two, a six-footer at the seventh, and another from just inside nine feet at the par-three eighth.
He sank a birdie putt from just inside 17 feet at the 10th, then strung together another four birdies in a row: a four-footer at the par-five 13th, one from just inside 14 feet at the 15th, a 12-footer at 15, and the last from just inside nine feet at 16. After a six-foot par putt at the 17th, he needed a birdie at 18 for 59.
Final Hole Drama
"It was nice to hole that putt and give myself a chance at 18 after not my best drive," Scheffler said. He found a left bunker, his first missed fairway of the round, leaving himself just over 26 feet for birdie and 59. His putt stayed left of the hole, setting up a tap-in par.
Scheffler, a four-time major winner, was coming off a share of fourth at last week's US Open, where he could have completed a career Grand Slam. He won his season opener at the PGA American Express event in the California desert for his 20th tour title but has not won since, taking second at the Masters, Heritage, and Doral events in April and third at last month's Memorial tournament.
