Scottie Scheffler's driver troubles took a bizarre turn at The Players Championship. The World No. 1's struggle with his club nearly cost him a spot in the weekend field at THE PLAYERS.

During the second round at TPC Sawgrass, Scottie Scheffler lost hold of his driver on the 16th hole, and the club flew from his hand during the tee shot. The moment came during a stretch where he was already dealing with questions about his driver setup.

As the round progressed, the pressure mounted on his scorecard. A three-putt from 11 feet on the 16th green moved Scheffler close to missing his first 36-hole cut in three and a half years. 

Earlier bogeys on the 4th, 7th, and 14th holes had already pushed the twenty-times PGA Tour winner toward the cut line. After teeing off on the 16th, he also dropped his club in frustration during the stretch.

Reflecting on the round later, the 29-year-old said, “It’s easier hitting it from the fairway than it is from the rough. I played from the rough a lot today.”

However, four-time major winner Scheffler steadied the round before the finish. He made birdie on the 18th hole and closed at 1-over par, which was enough to move him into the weekend field.

Why Scottie Scheffler Switched Back to His Previous Driver

Ahead of The Players Championship, Scottie Scheffler chose to return to his TaylorMade Qi10 driver after briefly testing the TaylorMade Qi4D driver at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The 2025 PGA Championship winner explained that the newer head produced steady spin numbers and slightly higher ball speed. But when he tried to shape certain shots, the reaction was not always what he expected. 

At times, a strike from the center of the face caused the ball to turn left instead of holding the right-side fade he was trying to play.

"I have seen some improvements in the new driver, it's just I haven't been able to trust it in all the different shots that I hit, especially off the tee," he explained.

So he decided to go back to the driver he has used since early 2024. The question is: Can Scottie Scheffler recover and contend after narrowly making the cut at The Players Championship? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi