New Putter But A Similar Story For Scheffler In First Round At Bay Hill

Scottie Scheffler's new putter did not quite click at Bay Hill as he finished near the bottom of the field again on the greens

Scottie Scheffler
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Paul Higham
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He made a change of putter for the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational but Scottie Scheffler still had no luck on the greens at Bay Hill.

The World No.1 started this year like he ended last, with five top 10s in his first six starts of 2024, but that's despite his putting being 144th on the PGA Tour.

Continual struggles led Scheffler to switch to the TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter at the Bay Hill event. 

The mallet putter is markedly different to his preferred option in recent months, having switched to an Olson Golf anser-style blade at November’s Hero World Challenge.

However, despite being the best in the field off the tee, Scheffler finished with a two-under round of 70 thanks to finishing down in 55th in Strokes Gained Putting on the opening day at Bay Hill.

It's an all too familiar story for Scheffler, who was one of just four players to hit 15 greens in regulation on the day, yet ended the round six shots off leader Shane Lowry.

Scheffler's brilliance in his long game continued, but his Achilles heel on the greens could again prevent him from seriously challenging for a title.

He's world No.1 for a reason, but losing just over a shot and a half on the greens, finishing 55th out of a field of 69 in putting during the first round again threatens to scupper his chances.

Scheffler hit three birdies in his opening round and just one bogey, with again several frustrating missed putts on the Bay Hill greens holding him back.

He did make a 20-footer for birdie on the 10th, but he also missed from six and seven feet on the first and third, and also missed from three-and-a-half feet on 16.

It's early days of course with his new putter but he'd have hoped for a bit better, especially missing the short one in what has become a miss he's getting known for over the last year.

Lowry leads the way in the Signature Event, as he carded five birdies and an eagle in his round of 66 which gives him a one-shot lead over Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Lower.

Paul Higham
Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush. 

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