Was Scottie Scheffler unfairly punished for rules decision? He thought so

Scottie Scheffler says he hustled.

On the 9th hole at Caves Valley. On the 10th hole. On the 11th hole.

Then his time was checked.

Nothing.

“We somehow didn’t gain a single second on pace of play,” Scheffler said. “I’m not really sure how that’s possible.”

But that was only part of the top-ranked player’s frustration with timing during Saturday’s BMW Championship third round. In the end, Scheffler shot a three-under 67, and he started Sunday’s final round in second and four strokes back of leader Robert MacIntyre — but he left the Maryland course feeling frustrated after a moment on the 9th hole.

There, Scheffler and MacIntyre, his playing partner, were warned for being behind the place, but Scheffler said he was confused.

“I mean, it’s frustrating,” he said. “I didn’t really feel like I did anything to put us behind on time.”

Even “some pretty good stuff” on 9, 10 and 11 didn’t work, Scheffler said. And he said even Ludvig Abergplaying in the group in front of him and one of the fastest players in pro golf, was put on the clock, along with playing partner Hideki Matsuyama.

“So I don’t know how quick he was today,” Scheffler said of Aberg.

“It’s just one of those things where all of a sudden now I’m punished for a rules decision I did not totally agree with, and then I can feel it gusting on 12, I can feel it gusting on 13, and there was nothing I can do about it; you’ve got to get up there and hit the shot.

“Overall I did what I could to keep us on pace, and hopefully we don’t run into that situation tomorrow.”

Another group was also warned Saturday — and Golf Channel viewers were given specific details. As the group of Patrick Cantlay and Shane Lowry played the 13th hole, PGA Tour rules official Mark Dusbabek said on the broadcast that they were being put on the clock after being warned on the 4th hole — then Golf Channel displayed a graphic showing how far behind the pace of play they were from holes 6 through 11.

On the 6th hole, they were 3 minutes and 29 seconds behind the pace. On the 11, they were 7 minutes behind.

“They’ve continually lost time along the way,” Dusbabek said on the broadcast. “Now we haven’t picked them up earlier because of situations that were going on in front of them with the groups in front of them. So now that they’ve gotten to plus seven, that hole, the 12th hole, has opened up in front so now we’ve had no choice but to push that group along.”

Pace of play has been a constant topic in golf, though this year, it has received renewed attention. In January, the Tour announced a number of moves — including a thought to ‘name and shame’ players.