Masters champion and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler once again finds himself among the leaders at a major championship after a second consecutive 4-under-par 68 on Friday left him one stroke behind clubhouse leader Dustin Johnson at 8 under par for the tournament.
Scheffler had only one bogey on Friday, on his first hole, and has just two bogeys after two rounds. He birdied three straight holes after making the turn and finished with another at 18, which on Friday is playing as the easiest hole on the course.
“I avoided the bunkers again today and kept myself in position,” he said after his round.
Scheffler followed his Masters win with a missed cut at the PGA Championship, but he finished one shot behind winner Matthew Fitzpatrick at the U.S. Open. He’s looking to join Ben Hogan (1953), Arnold Palmer (1962), Jack Nicklaus (1966), Gary Player (1974), Tom Watson (1977), Nick Faldo (1990), Mark O’Meara (1998) and Tiger Woods (2005) as the only golfers to win the Masters and British Open in the same year.
“It would be a lot of fun,” Scheffler said of adding a claret jug to the green jacket he won at the Masters in April. “Anytime you can win an Open Championship would be a tremendous success and certainly a lot of fun, but we’re only halfway there. Who knows how many shots I’m going to be back entering tomorrow. With the conditions this afternoon, it should be pretty easy for the guys.”
