Scottie Scheffler is heading into the weekend at East Lake Golf Club sitting just two shots off the lead, and the biggest news might just be how healthy he looks. Can you believe it? The world’s top-ranked golfer, fresh off a nasty hand, foot and mouth issue, absolutely fired a 3-under 67 on Friday in Atlanta, pushing him to 8-under for the week.
From Illness to Awesome: Scheffler’s Health is Back on Track
Just last week in St. Louis, Scheffler was really struggling with that illness. He even admitted on Sunday that a smarter version of himself probably would have withdrawn from the BMW Championship because he felt so bad during the second leg of the playoffs. But what a difference a week makes, right? Our guy is feeling way better, and he told everyone, “Hands are all good, totally back to normal.” He’s still got “a couple ulcers” in his throat, but he’s eating, drinking, and talking normally. And it’s showing big time. He opened the week with a bogey-free 65 on Thursday, kicking off this final event of the season in style. This dude won the FedEx St. Jude Championship by eight shots to start the playoffs, so we know what he can do when he’s feeling it.
Friday Was a Rollercoaster, But Scheffler Still Crushed It
Friday didn’t exactly start how he wanted. Scheffler bogeyed two of his first four holes, but then he just flipped a switch! He went absolutely bananas on the back nine, draining five birdies in a seven-hole stretch right around the turn. If he hadn’t missed the green on the 17th, which led to his only bogey on the back nine, he would have shared the lead walking into the clubhouse. He even had a 50-footer for eagle on the 18th, but it came up short, settling for an easy birdie. That incredible run still wasn’t enough to snag the lead at the midpoint. Instead, Ryan Gerard, who only has one PGA Tour win, had a nearly perfect day, carding a second straight 65 to get to 10-under. He even sank a wild 78-footer and grabbed a two-shot lead with a late birdie on 18. Viktor Hovland joined Gerard at 10-under after saving birdie on the 18th too, posting a 66 for his Friday.
The Field Is Chasing, But The Stakes Are Sky-High
Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup are right there at 9-under, tying for third, which puts Scheffler into a tie for fifth. And Young, who started with an even-par 70, absolutely flew up the leaderboard on Friday with an 8-under 62, including an eagle on the 18th while playing alone. He’s back in the mix big time. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy is struggling, trying to recover from an early double bogey-bogey combo. Man, talk about a tough start!
There’s still a ton of golf left before that FedExCup trophy and the $10 million prize gets handed out. Scheffler isn’t leading yet, but his comeback from that illness is legit, and he’s playing with serious swagger. This thing is wide open!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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