Scottie Scheffler likely iced his neck (and definitely shaved) during his week off, but he remains scorching hot on the golf course. The World No. 1 and Dallas resident — seeking his third consecutive win on the PGA Tour — posted a clean opening round 65 at the Texas Children's Houston Open at Memorial Park on Thursday.
It was Scheffler's 28th straight under-par round to start the 2024 PGA Tour season. Remarkably, 43 percent of those rounds have produced scores of 66 or lower.
Scheffler partnered with Will Zalatoris (+4) and Peter Malnati (-2) — who took advantage of Scheffler's absence to win last week's Valspar Championship at Innisbrook. The group started on the back nine and teed off at 8:53 a.m. ET.
Scheffler birdied Nos. 13, 17, 2, 3, and 5. He was bogey-free for the day, bringing his streak to 50 straight holes without a bogey.
“I had a solid round,” Scheffler said. “Kept the card clean. Bogey-free is always nice, especially around a golf course like this. It’s nice to be able to keep the card clean, like I said.”
Scottie Scheffler takes the lead @TCHouOpen 💪
He's looking for his third win in his last three starts. pic.twitter.com/7XrdT0d6Ul
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 28, 2024
If there was any sprinkling of rust, it could be whiffed on his approaches. Scheffler landed only 11 of 18 greens in regulation, although his work around the greens more than compensated.
“I made a nice putt there at the first to kind of get the round going and made some really nice up and downs after that,” said Scheffler.
Midway through Thursday, Scheffler (-5) trailed leader Taylor Moore (-6) by one stroke.
No putter needed 💪
Rookie Alejandro Tosti holes it for birdie at No. 2. pic.twitter.com/hxkgu71WZQ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 28, 2024
Scheffler rode an improved putter to a dominant win over Wyndham Clark at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill earlier this month. One week later, he gutted through neck pain to fend off Clark, Brian Harman, and Xander Schauffele at the Players Championship. Scheffler closed with a 64 on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass to become the first back-t0-back winner in the 50-year history of the event.
Dustin Johnson (2017) is the last golfer to win three consecutive starts on the PGA Tour.
With the Masters 14 days out, Scheffler — whose ball-striking/tee-to-gree numbers over the past two years resemble prime Tiger Woods — is nearly a 4/1 favorite for Augusta National. Scheffler leads the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained (2.281) by a wide margin.
“Anytime anyone asks me about Scottie, I bring it back to Tiger,” Malnati said Wednesday. “The thing that impressed me when I played with Tiger was … a little bit hobbled, well past his top form [at the 2019 Genesis Invitational], he was by far the best iron player I've ever seen, ever, ever seen. So to see that Scottie Scheffler, over years now, has put up similar-type Strokes Gained numbers to Tiger, that is phenomenal.”
Before Scheffler's opening round was over, some sportsbooks had moved him to even money to lift the trophy at Memorial Park.
Another course, another state, another day of golf, another reminder that the PGA Tour is Scottie Scheffler's world right now.
By the way, he owns the course record at Memorial Park — a second-round 62 in 2022.
Scheffler's group will start on the first tee on Friday at 1:53 p.m. ET.
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