Fortune Favours the Brave: Scottie Scheffler’s Beach Day Wraps Up with a Crucial Par Save

The temperature was dropping and the winds were howling — not the best conditions for a stroll along the beach. However, this particular day turned into a crucial moment for Scottie Scheffler during the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

On the par-5 18th hole at Pebble Beach, Scheffler pulled his tee shot towards the Pacific Ocean, never witnessing it bounce off the rocks or plunge into one of golf’s most notorious water hazards.

Faced with the decision of taking a penalty drop approximately 40 yards forward from the tee box, he decided to venture 300 yards to investigate the situation. Thankfully, he did.

“I spotted a ball on the beach, went down, found mine, shifted some rocks, played it out, got it on the green, and two-putted,” Scheffler recounted, making the entire process sound rather straightforward.

It required a bit of luck, starting with the fortunate discovery of his golf ball. He needed to navigate a longer path to the beach, scaling down a 5-foot rocky ledge before making his way back around 40 yards to find a lower ledge by the water, all while ensuring he didn’t slip. He was also able to adjust some small rocks and seaweed around his ball.

After that, it was all about executing a clean wedge shot to clear the cliff and drive towards the fairway. Once he achieved that, his 6-iron from 179 yards landed at the back right of the green, leaving him with two putts from 40 feet to secure a par and finish with a score of 2-under 70.

Entering the weekend, Scheffler was seven shots behind, yet still very much in contention and perhaps fortunate not to be further adrift.

“I’ve had some good pars,” he remarked. “That one was more of a lucky break than anything.”

Scheffler isn’t the only one who’s had to contend with the beach at Pebble Beach; Brandt Snedeker famously made birdie from the same spot back in 2019.

Given the circumstances of where his tee shot landed, Scheffler would have happily accepted a score of 5, and he had few other grievances about his performance considering this was his first official competition in nearly two months.

After sustaining a minor hand injury from accidentally puncturing his palm with a glass while making homemade ravioli over Christmas, he’s pleased with how his swing looked and reported that his hand feels good. However, he did acknowledge a slight hint of rustiness.

One noticeable instance was a semi-shank with a lob wedge on the 11th hole from 82 yards which resulted in his only bogey of the day.

On the other hand, he also displayed moments of brilliance, such as the 6-iron he struck across the ocean that landed a mere 2 feet from the hole for a birdie on the challenging No. 8.

“I think over the last couple of days, I haven’t felt like I’ve hit peak form at all,” he observed. “If you check my strokes gained-ball striking stats, they’re likely not close to what they usually are. I think it’s just a bit of competitive rust, getting back into the swing of tournament golf.”

“Only having two bogeys, with one being a semi-shank, is quite decent.”