Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 golfer, missed the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open, ending a streak of 78 consecutive cuts made. This marks his first missed cut since August 2022. The unexpected early departure occurred after he finished two over par, missing the cut line by two strokes at The Renaissance Club.
His impressive run included playing every weekend in 67 tournaments between August 2022 and this week. The streak also encompassed 37 consecutive top-25 finishes, which also concluded at the Genesis Scottish Open. The last time Scheffler finished outside the top 25 was 23 months ago at the 2024 BMW Championship, where he finished T33.
Rahm Reflects on Scheffler’s Consistency
The end of Scheffler’s streak surprised fellow golfer Jon Rahm, who made the cut at the same event with a second-round 65. Rahm, reflecting on Scheffler’s consistent performance, noted that it seemed Scheffler had a chance to win every week. He highlighted that Scheffler was always in contention, even if it was an outside chance on Sunday’s back nine, across majors and elevated events.
Rahm himself had a significant streak of 25 consecutive cuts made, which ended when he withdrew from the Players Championship due to illness. Scheffler won that tournament by five strokes, making the weekend for the 11th consecutive time then, and continuing his streak until this week.
Scheffler acknowledged the significance of his consistency, stating he was proud of it. He mentioned that some recent Signature Events have been held without a cut, which changes the context of such streaks. Despite the early exit, Scheffler indicated he would use the extra time to travel to Royal Birkdale earlier than planned to prepare for the upcoming Open Championship.
McIlroy Shares Lead as Others Miss Cut
While Scheffler’s tournament concluded early, Rory McIlroy maintained a share of the lead at nine-under par, tied with Jordan Smith and Tom Kim. McIlroy, the world No. 2, carded a second-round 66, following an opening-round 65. He was one of five players to share the lead after Thursday’s play.
McIlroy’s performance included four birdies on the front nine, going out in 31 for the second consecutive day. Despite a bogey on the par-four 13th, he immediately birdied the 14th, finishing his back nine in level-par 35. He expressed satisfaction with his score, particularly given the strengthening winds on the links course. McIlroy, the 2023 champion, feels well-positioned for the weekend, noting the strong field around the lead.
In addition to Scheffler, other notable players who missed the cut include Ludvig Åberg, Xander Schauffele, and PGA champion Aaron Rai. Meanwhile, Matt Fitzpatrick is one shot back on eight under after a round of 65, which featured five successive birdies on the back nine. Australia’s Min Woo Lee is also at eight under. Home favorite Bob MacIntyre, the 2024 winner, is in contention at seven under after a strong finish with four birdies over his final six holes, alongside last year’s champion Chris Gotterup, who carded 65.
The Genesis Scottish Open continues into the weekend, with coverage scheduled to begin from 9am on Saturday.
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Source: sports.yahoo.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.