Scottie Scheffler faces difficulties in the first round and threatens his streak in the top 10.

The world of golf is in turmoil! Scottie Scheffler, the current world number one, is facing an unexpected challenge that could shake his impressive streak of top 10 finishes. At the prestigious Genesis Invitational, held at the iconic Riviera Country Club, the Texas athlete saw his reputation for consistency threatened by a peculiar condition that golfers know all too well: “Thursday-itis.”

Reflecting on the situation, two years ago, Rory McIlroy suggested during a broadcast that Scheffler should swap his traditional putter for a more modern mallet model. The change was a game-changer. Scheffler adopted the TaylorMade Spider putter, which offers greater stability and forgiveness on the stroke, and from there, his career took off. He secured 14 victories, including a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and an impressive streak of 26 top 5 finishes and 33 top 10 finishes in just 38 tournaments. Since March of last year, the golfer has not left the top 10, accumulating 18 results among the best, the longest streak since 1983. McIlroy did not hold back in his praise, stating: “He is tireless… anyone wanting to catch him will have to maintain that level of play week after week.”

Trevor Immelman, from CBS, also praised Scheffler, describing his consistency as “extraordinary.” He compared the player to an unstoppable wave that keeps his competitors awake at night. Once an ineffective putter, Scheffler transformed this weakness into a strength, moving from 151st in Strokes Gained: Putting to 18th in 2025. He is now recognized as one of the best in the game, not only for his performance with irons but also for his newfound putting skills.

However, the tide seems to have turned in the last three competitions. Scheffler started the WM Phoenix Open with a disappointing 73, followed by a 72 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, both resulting in 10-shot deficits. At Riviera, the situation worsened: he was tied for last place after 10 holes, with a frustrating 5 over par. This was his worst performance at the start of a tournament since he was a 17-year-old amateur. With an underwhelming performance, he failed to convert four short putts and was losing nearly three strokes to the field on the green.

The statistics are clear: despite being among the best in Strokes Gained: Total in the early rounds, Scheffler has lost ground at the start of this season. Nevertheless, his recovery ability is legendary, having already shown he can reverse significant deficits, as he did recently at Pebble Beach. He started with an explosive performance, making three eagles and finishing with an impressive 63, although he faced some challenges along the way.

Tomorrow, Scheffler will have a new opportunity to redeem himself at Riviera, a course where he has not achieved a better result than T-7 in seven previous appearances. With a prize of 20 million dollars at stake, the 29-year-old golfer is determined to fight for a comeback and reaffirm his position at the top of the world of golf. “You never reach a point where you feel like you have everything under control. Golf is an endless quest to discover something new,” he stated. Expectations are high, and fans can hardly wait to see if he will be able to overcome yet another obstacle in his brilliant career.