Scottie Scheffler makes shock admission (!) after narrowly making US Open cut

Scottie Scheffler has revealed 'I was not as prepared as I could have been' after narrowly making the cut on the number at the US Open. 

Scheffler, 27, carded a dismal 4-over 74 in the second round of the US Open at Pinehurst No.2 on Friday. It pushed him to 5-over par. 

While US Open examination papers are supposed to be hard, it was an unthinkable score for a man who has looked so in control of things heading into the US Open, especially off the back of five wins in his last eight starts.

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Friday marked the first time in his major career as a professional that he failed to register a single birdie on his card. 

The putter, which had proven a big issue for Scheffler last season, went stone cold on him. 

When pressed by Golf Channel's Todd Lewis for a reason for his indifferent performance so far thru 36 holes in North Carolina, the runaway World No.1 admitted to a lack of preparation heading into the third major of the year. 

When Scheffler won The Masters in April, he did not play the week before. 

The same scenario played out heading into the US PGA where he rallied late for a T8 in a wild week where he was arrested.

Scheffler skipped the week before the PGA at the $20m signature Wells Fargo Championship due to the birth of his first child, baby boy Bennett, and to be with his wife Meredith. 

But Scheffler played in last week's $20m signature Memorial Tournament, and won it by one shot in a tense back-nine tussle with Collin Morikawa. 

Therefore the anomaly for Scheffler is the 2024 US Open is the only major this season he has entered off the back of having played the previous week on the PGA Tour. 

The PGA Tour has decided to put a number of its lucrative $20m signature events on before, and even after, the majors this season. 

Some players like that, others not so much. 

Scroll down for Scheffler's comments about not being prepared for the 2024 US Open as he perhaps should have been...

Scheffler told Golf Channel's Todd Lewis:

"I've played the week before majors a few times and the only one I really specifically remember was going into The Masters in my rookie year. I played really well in the [WGC] Match Play and then lost to Billy [Horschel] in the finals, then went and played San Antonio, which I don't think I should have done. I think going forward, I think it's something I'm really going to take a harder look at is my kind of prep for the majors. Augusta is one I've had good prep for, I've figured out I don't like playing the week before that one. Maybe I'll adopt more of that strategy going into this one [US Open]. There definitely was a bit of a fatigue aspect [having won Memorial last week]. I was ready to play. Maybe if I'm going to play the week before, I'll show up to the course the week before that tournament week and then assess the preparation. That is something I talk about a lot, preparing to play in tournaments, so maybe this week stepping up on Thursday, I maybe wasn't as prepared as I think I could have been."

Scheffler will now be looking to take advantage of fresh morning greens on Saturday when he joins Cameron Young at 10.01am in the third round.

The two-time Masters champion starts the third round of the US Open a whopping 10 shots off the pace at 5-over par. 

Sweden's Ludvig Aberg, who is making his US Open debut this week, is out in front on 5-under par heading into the weekend. 

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Scheffler came from five shots back to win The Players Championship heading into the final round earlier this season.

So if he can make some ground on Saturday, you just never know. 

Despite starting the US Open at odds of 3/1 - the shortest odds at a major since Tiger Woods in 2009 - Scheffler is currently priced at 70/1 ahead of his third round. 

You can never write Scheffler off, but given his performance so far, and his lack of Pinehurst prep as he alludes to in his quotes above, you have to believe he could be an  also ran  this week.