‘I don’t know what to do’: Scottie Scheffler follows friend during rare meltdown at Memorial

Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer in the world, and he’s on his way to an all-time great. But even the best have their days. On Thursday it was one of their world No. 1.

Scheffler’s 2026 season, while far from a disaster, has yet to reach the heights of his previous two years. In 2024, it seemed like he was winning every time he started, bringing home the Players, Kings, Memorial Tournament, Tour Championship, and Olympic gold.

He followed that up in 2025 by winning two majors, the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and the Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

While he won his first start in 2026, the American Express in Palm Springs, his results since have been a frustrating mix of top-5s and misses. He was T3 at the WM Phoenix Open. T4 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He finished lone runner-up at The Masters by shooting 65-68 over the weekend. Lost in the playoffs at the RBC Heritage, then finished second in the Cadillac Championship. While he’s in full swing at the PGA Championship, his 71-71 on Friday and Saturday meant he failed to secure his 2025 victory. He then followed that up with third place in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

PGA TOUR 2026: HIGH BETTING, ‘ONE-AND-DONE’ SELECT MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT AT MUIRFIELD VILLAGE GOLF CLUB

But this week it’s the Memorial at Muirfield Village, a course known for its difficulty, which allows the best players, like Scheffler, to break away from the field. Amazingly, he won two years in a row and finished third in 2023 and 2021.

Thursday’s opening round got off to a strong start, with Scheffler finishing on the front nine at 2. But the back 9 was difficult, and on the par 3 16th hole it boiled.

He bogeyed 10 and bogeyed 14 to sink back to par, then stared down a difficult pin at 16. But in rare fashion for Scheffler, he came up short, his tee shot bouncing off the water. He would eventually make a double bogey, but what was more surprising was his quick reaction and frustration with caddy Ted Scott.

Scottie Scheffler chats with his friend, Ted Scott, while walking the 16th green during the first round of the Memorial Championship at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, on June 4, 2026. (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)

Scheffler was clearly upset, and was heard yelling behind Scott, “I don’t know what to do. I can’t hear a word you’re saying. I feel like that’s a good shot, now I’m in the water.”

He was also heard saying “I’m hitting a seven iron, and we’re getting bad wind, and I’m in the water.”

“I don’t think you understand how frustrating that is,” he added.

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“I don’t understand. I really don’t know. I mean, it was 5 yards short of the green. Flush 7-iron…I hit it well and I’m throwing hazards because we hit the wind,” he said. Even after hitting his gun on the landing, Scheffler continued, albeit with an inaudible sound.

After the round, he explained to reporters about his condition.

“That’s another really good iron shot, and the wind went from the bottom right to the far right,” Scheffler said.

“If it goes back to the right, that ball is probably where I hit my shot. So I don’t really know what to do there other than try to hit a good shot, and it’s frustrating when it doesn’t work, especially when it doesn’t work that way.

Scottie Scheffler reacts to his tee shot on the 16th hole during the first round of the Memorial Championship at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, on June 4, 2026. (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)

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“I’d rather go left, not right there. All you can do is try to hit good shots. It can be very frustrating sometimes when you feel like you’re hitting good shots and then you go to the draw.”

Scheffler birdied the par-4 17th hole, putting her at +1 for the day, putting her six shots back from the lead. Guess it’s encouraging to know that even the best in the world get frustrated with golf.