PGA Tour: Scottie Scheffler’s shank left fans thinking: “One of us”

ATLANTA — Golf can even make the best players in the world look silly sometimes.

Look no further than what happened to World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler on Sunday at the Tour Championship.

After finding the greenside bunker on the drivable par-4 8th, Scheffler sunk into the sand and prepared to hit what looked like a routine shot from the trap. He then hit a cold-blooded shank, a shot that would embarrass a 25-handicapper, let alone the reigning Masters champion. His ball went straight off the hosel, rocketing dead right and beyond the green. It finally came to rest in a precarious position, 36 yards past the pin.

Scheffler ultimately made a bogey, which cut his lead to two over Collin Morikawa.

Scheffler’s shank led many fans to think of themselves while out on the course.

After Scheffler’s bogey, he rifled a 4-iron to five feet on the par-3 9th. He rebounded with a birdie there and added two more par-breakers on the 10th and 11th holes.

Yes, after he shanked it out of the bunker, Scheffler made three straight birdies to bounce back with a vengeance, reaffirming why he is the best player in the world.

Fans took notice, too.

By the time he hit his tee shot on the 12th, Scheffler again held a five-shot lead, the same margin with which he began his final round.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.