Scottie Scheffler had a rough start to his Memorial Tournament title defense on Thursday, and a microphone caught every word of his frustration.
After hitting an errant shot that bounced through the rough and into the water, Scheffler turned to his caddie Ted Scott and made clear exactly how he felt. According to Yahoo Sports, the world's No. 1 player could be heard saying, "I don't know what to do."
As he walked away from the tee, Scheffler said, "That was a good shot. Now I'm in the water."
The camera eventually picked up more of the exchange as Scheffler moved toward the ball. "Absolutely flushed a 7-iron, and we get the wind wrong, and I'm in the water," he said. "I don't think you understand how frustrating that is. That was a good shot. It really was."
He continued, telling Scott, "I don't understand what I'm meant to do. I don't understand. I really don't." He closed out the rant by saying, "I'm hitting good shots, and dropping from hazards. I cannot get the wind right."
Scheffler has won the Memorial Tournament in each of the past two years. A first-round score of 1-over left him six shots back of the leaders as the tournament opened Thursday. He will look to recover when play continues Friday.
The moment offered a candid look at how even elite players handle the unpredictability of conditions. Wind misreads and unlucky bounces are a regular part of professional golf, and Scheffler's reaction showed the toll they can take even at the top of the world rankings.
Friday's round will determine whether Scheffler can pull himself back into contention or whether his bid for a third straight Memorial title is already in serious trouble.
