Scottie Scheffler came tantalizingly close to shooting a 59 Friday at the Travelers Championship, ultimately settling for a brilliant 60 that vaulted him to the top of the leaderboard at 16-under par through two rounds at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
On the par-4 18th hole, Scheffler’s birdie attempt slipped just inches past the cup to the right, leaving him to tap in for par and a round of 60 — still an exceptional score that left him one shot ahead of Viktor Hovland and two clear of Akshay Bhatia, who carded a second-round 62.
“The conditions were really good this morning,” Scheffler said. “Softer golf course, not too much wind. … I’m sure if you looked at today’s round compared to yesterday’s round, I’m sure the ball-striking was pretty similar.”
Scheffler opened his Friday round with a birdie before making a bogey at the second hole, missing a six-foot putt on the par-4. That would prove to be his last significant misstep of the day. Over his final 16 holes, he reeled off 10 birdies, posting matching scores of 30 on both the front and back nines. Combined with his opening 64 on Thursday, Scheffler is now chasing his second Travelers Championship title in three years.
Heavy rainfall softened the greens at TPC River Highlands, contributing to low scoring throughout Friday’s second round — a familiar pattern at this event.
With his 60, Scheffler joins Patrick Cantlay (2011) and Tommy Bolt (1954) in the record books for the best second-round score in tournament history. Jim Furyk holds the all-time single-round record at the event with a 58 in 2016, while Cam Young posted a 59 in the third round two years ago.
Hovland sits at 14-under for the tournament after going 9-under on Friday, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 13th hole and a 30 on his front nine.
Bhatia had briefly held the lead after finishing his round earlier in the day, but both Hovland and Scheffler surged past him as they completed their rounds. Bhatia and first-round leader Eric Cole are tied at 12-under, four strokes behind Scheffler. Cole, who opened with a 63 on Thursday, posted a second-round 65 after managing just one birdie against eight pars on the back nine.
