Signature Scroll: Scottie Scheffler scares historic 59 at Travelers Championship

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So close to history …

Scottie Scheffler nearly became the second man in history to shoot multiple rounds of 59 or lower.

That he didn’t was somewhat of a surprise.

Needing a birdie on either of his last two holes on Friday, Scheffler could only manage pars and, alas, settled for the seventh round of 60 or lower in the 15-year history of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands, the land of low scores. The venue has yielded the most rounds of 60 or lower of any TOUR stop since 1997, and it’s only hosted an event since 2011. The course has seen two rounds of 59 or lower, including Jim Furyk's 58 a decade ago, which remains the lowest round in TOUR history.

What I found more notable than Scheffler’s 60 was how he putted. That was the best statistical putting round of Scheffler’s career. He gained 4.78 strokes on the greens, besting his previous high set at the first round of the 2021 U.S. Open (4.18).

You can take that two ways at the halfway point. It could either prove unsustainable and give you pause that he can’t hold the lead to the finish. Or it’s validation that Scheffler has returned to peak form, ready to run the tables this week and potentially into a title defense at the Open Championship.

Some more stats:

• This one blew my mind: With the 60, Scheffler is the only player in TOUR history to have recorded every score from 59 to 79 without a round in the 80s (593 rounds).
• Scheffler hit 17 fairways in the second round. The 18th was the only one he missed.
• Scheffler’s odds to win at the halfway point: 62%, per DataGolf
• Scheffler has a 50% win rate in his career as the 36-hole leader/co-leader

Playing through

• 📺 Check out Round 2 highlights.
• ✍ More play-by-play details on Scheffler’s near-59 …
• 💲 Who should you be betting and fading at the halfway point?
• 🗣️ What do players think of the new competitive structure changes coming in 2028?

Making the case for Akshay

Should Akshay Bhatia be on the U.S. Team at the 2026 Presidents Cup?

It’s a question I’ve pondered in the lead-up to the last two team events, neither of which he cracked the final roster. As I watched him shoot 63 on Friday and skyrocket up the leaderboard, the thought popped into my head again.

Will this year be any different?

Barring a sudden drop in form or late injury, I think it’s imperative that the U.S. inject some youth and inexperience into their Presidents Cup roster, a la how Europe selected Ludvig Åberg for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Bhatia would be the ideal selection. He’s 24, but he’s not unproven. Bhatia is already a three-time TOUR winner. He has an elite skill, sixth this season in Strokes Gained: Putting as he morphed from one of the worst on TOUR to one of the best once he switched to the broomstick. That makes him an easy partner in any format.

Right now, he’s on the periphery of a captain’s pick, 14th on the U.S. points list and 16th among Americans in the Official World Golf Ranking. There are valid reasons not to pick Bhatia; His form has dropped since his win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, but his upside is tantalizing.

Last year’s Ryder Cup didn’t have a single player under the age of 28. If the U.S. wants to create sustainable success, it will need to take some risks on younger players eventually. If Bhatia isn’t picked, would Snedeker consider someone like Jackson Koivun, Ben James or Ryan Gerard? None is as accomplished as Bhatia, who feels like the right middle ground.

Parting shots

• 🇳🇴 Hovland is alone in second at the halfway point, and the most encouraging part is what he said after shooting 61 on Friday. “I've obviously been working a lot on my swing to try to get back technically to where I can, you know, not think about the swing as much and just step over the ball and expect to see a certain shot shape.” I can’t remember a media session of Hovland’s in the last two years that didn’t devolve into nitty-gritty swing specifics. I think it’s a good sign if he’s starting to put those behind him.
• 💸 Kurt Kitayma is becoming a Signature Event assassin. In seven Signature Events, he has finished T48-T2-T18-T8-T9-T19-T22. Meanwhile, he has only one top-10 finish in his other eight starts.
• 🫢 The best-ball score from the pairing of Hovland and Bud Cauley on Friday: 58.
• 🌽 This is an important event for Brian Campbell, who began the week last in the FedExCup standings of anyone in the field, 157th overall. His card is secure for next year, thanks to his wins in 2025, but his spot in Signature Events is not. He shot 63 on Friday and is tied for eighth.
• 🇺🇲 An interesting note I found while doing some Bhatia/Presidents Cup research. Gary Woodland has been the eighth-best American over the last three months.
• 🤔 Another good round by Ben James. He’s inside the top 20 after rounds of 68-64. I’m bullish.