Scheffler Struggles in Masters Second Round, Falls Seven Behind After 74
Scheffler's Streak Ends with Disappointing 74
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler posted his first over-par round at Augusta National in three years, carding a 2-over 74 in the second round of the Masters. At even par after 36 holes, he trails defending champion Rory McIlroy by seven strokes heading into the weekend.
Water Hazards Prove Costly
Scheffler's troubles stemmed from two critical mistakes on the back nine par-5s. At the 13th, after a 291-yard drive, his 3-iron approach found Rae's Creek tributary. At the 15th, his 241-yard second shot bounded over the green and into the pond.
"It was frustrating to get it back to even, have a couple of par-5s in front of me, and then not do many things I felt [were] wrong," Scheffler reflected.
Early bogeys at the 4th and 5th holes, combined with putting struggles where he lost more than a stroke to the field, compounded his difficulties.
Historic Streak Comes to an End
The round ended Scheffler's remarkable 11 consecutive rounds at par or better at Augusta, the third-longest streak in tournament history. Only Tiger Woods (16 straight from 2007-2011) and Jon Rahm (15 consecutive from 2018-2021) have achieved longer streaks.
Comeback Potential Remains
The two-time Masters champion has demonstrated comeback ability before, notably overcoming a six-shot deficit after 36 holes at the 2024 Players Championship. However, seven shots at Augusta presents a formidable challenge, even for a player of Scheffler's caliber.
From a Strokes Gained perspective, Scheffler's putting and approach play clearly suffered on Friday. The decision-making on holes 13 and 15 represents avoidable losses that could have been managed better from a risk assessment standpoint.