Charlotte, N.C. - Scottie Scheffler's feet freeze while the ball is navigating in the air. He watched his tee parabola reach its highest point and landed precisely where it needed - only at the 14th green, delimited forward, and then rolled onto the surface like a putter.
From 304 yards, Schefler placed the ball 2 feet 9 inches from the hole. The eagle putter that followed was a form that gave him a lead by eight shots when he led, but it could also be a flashing billboard around the Quail Hollow Country Club, an aphorism for professional golf over the past two years: Scottie Scheffler is inevitable.
In the first two days of the PGA Championship, the eclectic rankings featured several unexpected names. But when Schaffler scored under 11 birdies at 15, 17 and 18 on Saturday's 14-point Hawks and beat 54 holes with three shots, it seemed that the law of gravity was correct again. Even in over 36 holes, this is so unique and confusing that it must eventually find its center.
"I do my best to focus on executing the shots and things you can't control," Scheffler said. "I can't control what other people are doing. I can't control the bad gusts. When the ball hits the green, I can't control the reaction of the ball. All I can do is try to hit the shot I want to hit. That's what I focus on there. Sometimes it's better than other people."
When Scheffler Crescendo entered the lead, his inevitability felt inevitable due to the fact that others began to disappear. Quail Hollow's tough green mile stretch took over a spin for the competitor, handing Jon Rahm A Bogey to Jon Rahm A Bogey at the age of 17 while stroking Bryson DeChambeau's turn in the same hole.
"I have three rounds of championships," Dechambeau said at the end of the game. "So, I can't complain too much."
"I assume I will start at least tomorrow," said two-time major champion Rahm after a six-shot Saturday. "But it's a good spot."
The only problem is that the number one player in the world still has more loopholes to play, and Scheffler drove through the green miles at 2 strokes. On Sunday, Ram will start five shots at Schefller; DeChambeau needs to make up for six.
The three players are closer to Sunday than Scheffler. Alex Noren, 42, recovered from a tendon tear in the hamstring, and was three shots to play with Scheffler. Noren was ranked 51st in last week's TRUIST Championship. Davis Riley and JT Poston (under 7 years old) will follow. Riley has two top ten this season. He also missed out on his career, and in his career he has laid off more than he has laid off. Meanwhile, Poston never showed better than No. 30 in the Big Championship.
In other words, Schaffler did not immediately chase his best player in the world. That's why despite their respective deficits, Ram and Deschamps are probably Schffler's most capable opponents. Rahm and Dechambeau are also looking for their third major win.
This is the first time since he joined Liv, Ram has really fought for the major controversy and has a chance to add to his stats. Winning a PGA championship will not only make him a three major. This means he will win the open title in Royal Portraits of Northern Ireland and have the chance to do what Rory McIlroy does: finish the Grand Slam.
"It's hard to express my hunger for a major, about as hungry as anyone in this situation," said a smiling Ram. "I'm glad to show up again."
This week, Ram has been stable. He led the game with a stroke, finishing 20th in close proximity but lost nearly all of his strokes around the green. That's about the same as he did in the pros since he won the Masters in 2023, but it may still lack enough firepower to attract Scheffler.
DeChambeau's third round stalled, and it appeared to be another Sunday for a major, who would be just one or two away from the lead. Not surprisingly, this course will fit DeChambeau's eyes as he's been driving the ball. But like Augusta, his goal match (this week in Game 54) could again pay his third major title.
"All I can do is control what I can control, and if I go out and shoot 6 shots and seven times, that's what I focus on doing," DeChambeau said. "It's not that that's what it does, but you never know."
Under Quail Hollow, most of the attention was centered around McIlroy, who had historic, sport-changing victory in the Masters, which secured the long-awaited Grand Slam. But Schefler, who just won eight shots, is still considered a common best option and remains the real standard of the sport.
During the first two days, Schefller filmed the casual rounds of 69 and 68. None of this is particularly impressive, as his ability to shoot without his best is second nature. The bar he set for himself was so high that the only surprise he was that he didn't make the top ten in the competition. Even if that's not enough in itself. He has six top ten this season, but his game is shocking as he didn't win until Byron Nelson two weeks ago. Schaffler showed some frustration in the course, but he continued to preach patience.
"Golf is not a game where you can force things. If you are playing sports like football or basketball, you can force things or push people away based on adrenaline," Scheffler said. "Golf, I think it makes you score higher, and I think in this sport you have to have a lot more than other sports, especially in the 72-hole tournament."
This week, Scheffler once again showed off his best player in the world, ranking in the top 10 around Tee, approach and green. On top of that, not only is his putts repairable (at 36th place in the arena), but his impressive mentality of being able to bounce from bad shots or holes seems to be at his best. It was this recipe that won him two green coats.
"I'm outside and trying to beat the golf course on the golf course, and that's what I'm focusing on," Scheffler said.
On Sunday, Schaffler will have extravagant luxury goods, not think of anyone, but himself. His chasers might say they will only focus on their own control, but know deep down: to give them a chance to improve the Wanamaker trophy, they need the most inevitable strength of the sport to falter.