AUSTIN, Texas – Scottie Scheffler couldn’t get the image out of his head. Sitting on the couch watching the Ryder Cup with his father and watching European Ian Poulter bury shot after shot to sink Americans.
Then there was the time in 2012 when he played the Junior Ryder Cup at the Olympia Fields in Chicago, while the big boys fought in nearby Medinah. But Scheffler was returning home to Texas on Sunday and at the airport watching as Europe mounted an epic fight. Poulter was again leading the way.
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These visions served Scheffler on Saturday morning as a carrot as he prepared to play the crafty veteran. I can beat this guy, he thought – and he did it in style with seven birdies helping him to score 5 and 4.
Before he could catch his breath, he was back at the Austin Country Club – a familiar place for the former University of Texas Longhorn – to play against the new generation of European superstar Jon Rahm.
This is a Ryder Cup year and there is no doubt that United States captain Steve Stricker would have noticed Rahm’s dismantling 3 and 1. It wasn’t just the fact that he won – it was how he won. Scheffler posted eight birdies, and when Rahm came after him with his own birdies in the final stretch, the Texan simply matched them.
“I played really good golf. I think I kept things bogey free, got some initial clues and made sure to keep the pressure on these guys and make them feel that they had to do something special to defeat me, which they were unable to do, ”Scheffler said.
Scheffler won the Arnold Palmer Award as the PGA TOUR’s Rookie of the Year last season. He is famous for hitting 59 during the FedExCup Playoffs and, although he has not yet won on TOUR, many people have long suggested that it is only a matter of time for the 24-year-old.
He chose not to be intimidated by any situation on Saturday and plans to do the same when facing another veteran in Matt Kuchar in Sunday’s semifinal. There is no doubt that he has the most support from the crowd and is making the most of his energy.
“This is the position I want to occupy at the end of the week,” added Scheffler. “I didn’t want to miss a match and I have another big opponent in the morning. I’m looking forward to going into the clear with him.”
Kuchar showed courage and cunning to come from behind to beat Jordan Spieth at hole 18 in the round of 16 and then held on to a tenacious submission from Brian Harman in the quarterfinals. The 2013 champion was also runner-up the last time the tournament was held in 2019 and is second only to Tiger Woods in total wins.
The 42-year-old knows all the tricks of match play and will be a formidable obstacle to Scheffler’s dreams. A former US Amateur winner and veteran of the Ryder and Presidents Cup teams, Kuchar plans to join Woods, Ogilvy and Jason Day as several winners. And he would become the oldest winner if he reached the trophy, but says his legs are not yet dead.
“I can’t tell you how good I feel right now. I feel like I’m still floating, ”said Kuchar. “There is a high level of intensity and to get out on top, to do a 10-foot race in the last one to win the match, I feel incredible. Certainly a little easier this evening being done at 5 o’clock than last night being done after 7 pm. So rest for a whole night and hopefully some good matches tomorrow. “
On the other side of the draw, Billy Horschel will face Frenchman Victor Perez. Horschel came back from the dead to beat Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff when the Englishman sent a tee shot off the court. Now, the former FedExCup champion has a chance to add another great title to his resume.
As a five-time TOUR winner, he is no stranger to winning – but the last one came in 2018. And while he has a FedExCup title on his resume, he has not yet won a WGC event. He recently had a chance to win at the WGC – Workday Championship at The Concession before finishing as runner-up to Collin Morikawa.
“Nothing changes. I know what tomorrow means. I know it’s no different than the final round,” said Horschel. “I’m not going to stress about it anymore, and I’m not going to worry about it. I’m just going to play golf and see where my game is on and I hope it’s good enough and I play well enough, so I can move on and maybe hold a trophy tomorrow. ”
As for Perez – he is the wild card that brings back the memories of another French Victor. In 2014, Jason Day had to outlast Victor Dubuisson in the final in Tucson because of extra holes, when he continued to make ridiculous saves in the desert. Perez was also a student in the desert at that time – as part of the golf team at the University of New Mexico.