Rough return to 'normal' sends Scheffler down the leaderboard at PGA Championship

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler arrived at the golf course Saturday in plenty of time. Once he got there, nothing felt quite right.

A day after he powered through his odyssey to the jailhouse, then back to the course just in time to get to the opening tee box, Scheffler enjoyed a more regular schedule but struggled to keep things together at the PGA Championship.

He shot 2-over 73 in the third round to close at 7 under for the tournament and drop from fourth to a tie for 24th. It snapped a string of 42 straight rounds of par or better for the world's top player, dating to Saturday at the Tour Championship last year.

“I definitely did not feel like myself today,” he said. “Yesterday happened, I did my best to recover from it and come out and compete. This morning was not my usual routine for a round. At the end of the day, I came out hoping to have a good round but I wasn’t able to get it done, which was frustrating.”

Though he said his arrest and trip to a holding cell the day before left his heart thumping and his head spinning, it didn't show on the course or the scoreboard; he shot 66 in Round 2. A day later, it was clear he was still adjusting to the stunning events of the previous 36 hours.

He started losing ground even before he stepped onto the course.

Justin Rose and Shane Lowry led the way, shooting 64 and 62 in a group more than an hour ahead of Scheffler's.

The scoring average at Valhalla was 69.55, the second-lowest for the third round of a PGA in history. In all, 15 players will begin the final round at double-digits under par; the previous record for a major was seven, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

But the reigning Masters champion got left out of the party.

He made two bogeys and a double over his first four holes, finished the front nine in 38 and shot his worst round of the season. Even though he struggled, he still felt the love. Chants of “Scottie, Scottie, Scottie,” were scattered across the course, never louder than when he made a short birdie putt on 18 to close the day.

Before that, it was an ugly mix of missed tee shots, bad lies in the rough and a few struggles with the putter that had more or less gone away during a season in which he has won four times.

“I was battling as hard as I could all day but every time I'd make a birdie, I’d bogey the next hole,” he said. “Way too many mistakes today. Obviously I'm pretty frustrated with the result.”

His struggles started on the par-4 second, where his approach shot landed deep in the rough to the left of the green. It took him two shots to get to the putting surface and he made double bogey.

On No. 4, his tee shot landed left of a fence in a penalty area to the left of the green. After taking a drop, Scheffler chunked the next chip. He made a 10-foot putt to save bogey.

He made two birdies after that, but three-putted from 30 feet on the par-3 eighth, the second putt a push from 3 feet that took a 270-degree spin around the cup and stayed out.

Scheffler's 73 was better than only five players in the 78-man field. He’ll enter Sunday trailing leaders Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele by eight.

One possible boost for the final 18 holes will be the return of his caddie, Ted Scott, who left town to attend his daughter's high school reunion, leaving the bag duties to Scheffler's friend, tour chaplain Brad Payne.

Scott is scheduled to return for the final round, which will start much earlier than Scheffler might have expected on a week where very little has gone to plan.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Scottie Scheffler hits from the bunker on the 10th hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Club, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Scottie Scheffler reacts to his chip to the green on the fourth hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Club, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Scottie Scheffler chips to the green on the fourth hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Club, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Scottie Scheffler hits from the bunker on the seventh hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Club, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Scottie Scheffler watches his tee shot on the third hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Club, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Scottie Scheffler waits to play on the second hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Club, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

CHICAGO (AP) — Lukas Reichel made his season debut for the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night after he was a healthy scratch for the team's opening four-game trip.

Reichel skated for 8 1/2 minutes during Chicago's 4-2 victory over San Jose in its home opener. He centered the team's fourth line in his 100th career game, playing alongside veteran forwards Pat Maroon and Craig Smith.

Coach Luke Richardson said he thought Reichel made some good plays.

“I thought he was, you know, hard in the face-off circle," Richardson said. "He blocked a shot in the third period, and he was really showing initiative to take hard strides out there, whether it was tracking back, which helps our (defense), or on the offense and on the forecheck. So it was a good start for him.”

Chicago also placed Alec Martinez on injured reserve before its victory over the Sharks. Fellow defenseman Isaak Phillips was recalled from Rockford of the AHL.

The 37-year-old Martinez, who skated in each of the team's first four games, has a right groin injury. He agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract with the Blackhawks in free agency.

“I think a groin strain is what they listed it as,” Richardson said. “It’s been kind of nagging for a while, and then last game, just kind of reaggravated it a bit. So we have to just give him time.”

Richardson had no update on goaltender Laurent Brossoit and defenseman Artyom Levshunov. Brossoit had meniscus surgery on his right knee on Aug. 27. Levshunov, the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NHL draft, is coming back from a right foot injury.

“Both of them are just not ready to join the team in practice yet, but have been on the ice,” Richardson said, “and will be back on the ice after a day or two off. I think they've been going pretty hard, and that's all I know there.”

The 22-year-old Reichel was a first-round pick in the 2020 entry draft, but he has struggled with inconsistency since his NHL debut almost three years ago. He re-signed with the Blackhawks in May, finalizing a two-year contract.

If Reichel's lackluster production continues this season and Chicago decides it wants to send him back to the minors, it would have to expose him to waivers.

It looked as if Reichel had turned a corner when he had four goals and four assists in his last eight games with Chicago during the 2022-23 season. He appeared in a career-high 65 games last year, but he only managed five goals and 11 assists.

Reichel said it was tough sitting out at the beginning of this season.

“You know you want to play every game, but what I learned from last year, you got to stay positive,” he said after the team's morning skate. “Everyone knows that I want to go out there and compete and play with the boys, but all you can do in that moment, you just got to focus (on) what you can control.”

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Chicago Blackhawks left wing Lukas Reichel skates during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Lukas Reichel skates during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Lukas Reichel walks the red carpet before the Blackhawks' home opener NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Lukas Reichel warms up before an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)