Watch: Scottie Scheffler misses putt from 1ft 10in as record-breaking run ends

World No 1 seemed certain to extend run of 28 consecutive rounds under par on PGA Tour, until a terrible lapse in concentration

Scottie Scheffler’s record-breaking streak came to an ignominious end at the Houston Open when he missed a putt of only 1ft 10in.
The world No 1 seemed certain to continue his remarkable run of 28 consecutive rounds under par on the PGA Tour as he sized up a six-footer for a four on the 18th that would have given him a second-round 68.
But not only did he skew that effort, but incredibly the tiddler for bogey also lipped out and the resulting six saw him card a level-par 70.
With typical placidity, the composed Texan brushed off the error, claiming a spike mark veered his ball off course. “No, I do that all the time,” Scheffler quipped when asked if it was due to a mental lapse. “You never really know what’s going to be up there around the cup on 18. I felt like I hit a good putt on the first one, but the second one I guess just hit a little fast and didn’t see a spike mark there.”
Scottie Scheffler 3-putt from 6 feet to make double on 18 that ended his record breaking consecutive rounds under par streak on the PGA Tour. After he jokingly said he misses putts like that ‘all the time’.He’s just giving everyone else a chance 😅 pic.twitter.com/9cPI5AKkCN
Akshay Bhatia held the previous under-par record with 27, but Scheffler surpassed that with Thursday’s opening 65 at Memorial Park. Tiger Woods holds the record of consecutive rounds at par or better (52), set across 2000 and 2001. Scheffler’s current streak in that category is 29 and remains intact.
And after a third-round 66, Scheffler goes into fourth round in a tie for the lead on nine-under and looking primed to win his third title on the bounce, a feat not achieved on the US circuit since Dustin Johnson seven years ago.
On a crowded leaderboard, Englishman David Skinns also sets the pace after a 65, as does Belgian Thomas Detry, German Stephan Jaegeand Argentine Alejandro Tosti. Yet there can be no doubt who is the overwhelming favourite.
Scheffler is in ominous form, but with the first round of Masters just 12 days away, his rivals will doubtless take heart from Friday’s three-prodded blunder. The 27-year-old is as low as 7-2 with the bookmakers to don his second green jacket in three years, with Rory McIlroy a distant second-favouirte at 12-1.
Scheffler had endured his torments on the greens, before prevailing at Bay Hill earlier on Saturday morning. His display in Orlando, and this victory the next week at The Players, featured much improved performances with the putter and with his peerless ball-striking this has apparently made Scheffler the complete package.