Scottie Scheffler and Andrew Landry making the most of their big moments
Scheffler, a 19-year-old qualifier from Ohio, helped the University of Texas make it to this year’s NCAA finals where they lost to hosts Oregon.
But as rookie Landry got to three under and faced a ten- footer for birdie on his final hole when play was suspended, Scheffler made three birdies and two bogeys in a 69 to set the target as thunderstorms forced three stoppages before play was suspended for the day.
Asked about his expectations for the next for three days, Scheffler siad: “Three more rounds to go. We need to get a game plan going for the next round. We’ll see where the lead is at.
“My game plan isn’t going to change too much. Try to get the ball in play and see what I can do on the fairways out here. It’s not easy to play from the rough and the bad spots around this course.”
Just three years younger than Jordan Spieth, Scheffler added: “I was lucky enough to play nine holes with Jordan, Zach Johnson and William McGirt Wednesday morning. That was really, really helpful.
“Zach showed me spots around the greens. Jordan also helped out and then William actually helped me out with the spikes, my shoes. I was kind of slipping around. I have to thank him whenever he’s done, wherever he is.”
Texan Landry, 28, graduated from the Web.com Tour at the start of the year and while he opened his rookie season by missing the cut in six of his first nine starts and has yet to register a top-40 finish, the pain was erased by an opening round that could have been something really special Starting on the 10th, he opened with a birdie three, then parred his next six holes before chipping to eight feet at the driveable 17th and holing the putt.
He then birdied three holes in a row, holing a four-footer at the short par four second, and tough third to go four under for the day.
The par-five fourth might measure 609 yards but Landry found a perfect spot just short of the green in two and pitched to four feet again, holing the putt.
Had he putted flawlessly, he might have threatened Johnny Miller’s famous, closing 63 at Oakmont but missed excellent chances inside ten feet at the fifth and six and then bogeyed the seventh and eighth to fall back to three under before leaving himself a good chance at the ninth.
With Bubba Watson two- under after 14 alongside Danny Lee, England’s Lee Westwood is one-under with five to play. “It’s obviously a frustrating day having to keep coming off, but there’s nothing you can do about the weather,” said Westwood, who holed a wedge from 128 yards for an eagle two at the 14th after laying up with a four iron.
“I’m playing well though, playing nicely. I’ve dropped shots when I’ve missed it in the wrong spots and made some nice birdies too.
“The eagle on 14 was obviously a nice shot. The course is playing nicely and the greens are fast, even with all the rain.
“I don’t know how it is going to hold up after this rain though, as it is a bit different to what we’ve had.
“The game is solid. I’ve been playing well now for a couple of months, so it is good to build on that. Experience obviously comes into play a lot at Majors and US Open but it does so even more on days like this.”
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