SCOTTIE Scheffler and PGA Tour rookie John Pak began their Charles Schwab Challenge campaigns with identical eagles on their opening holes, a promising start that quickly diverged into vastly different trajectories.
Four days after securing his third major title at the PGA Championship, world No. 1 Scheffler opened his bid for three consecutive victories with a two-under 68 on Friday, May 23, 2025 (PH time).
Meanwhile, Pak surged ahead with a remarkable 63, establishing a three-shot lead over a group of nine players, including J.J. Spaun, the highest-ranked among them at 27th.
The leaderboard presented an unusual sight, with Tommy Fleetwood and 2023 British Open champion Brian Harman among a group four strokes behind Pak, while Scheffler headlined a larger group of 15 players trailing by five.
Defending champion Davis Riley, paired with Scheffler for the first two rounds, endured a challenging day on the historic Colonial course, known for its association with Ben Hogan.
Riley carded two double bogeys on the front nine en route to a three-over 73, a stark contrast to his runner-up finish behind Scheffler at the PGA.
The group at 4-under, alongside Spaun, included Patrick Rodgers, Ryo Hisatsune, Matti Schmid, Beau Hossler, Bud Cauley, J.T. Poston, and Ben Griffin. Local favorite Jordan Spieth, a former Texas Longhorn, finished with a 69, buoyed by birdies on two of his final four holes.
Scheffler’s round at his second hometown event began spectacularly, with an eagle putt from off the green on the par-5 first hole, followed by a 23-foot birdie on No. 2.
However, the Dallas resident played the remaining 16 holes in 1-over, struggling with accuracy off the tee and into the greens, which prevented him from keeping pace with Pak, who had completed his round hours earlier.
This scenario sets up a familiar challenge for Scheffler, who will need to come from behind, much as he did at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
In that tournament, he overcame the same first-round deficit before seizing the lead in the third round and fending off a charge from Jon Rahm.
Pak’s impressive round began on the par-4 10th, where he holed out from 147 yards for an eagle. He then added five birdies, completing a bogey-free round.
Pak revealed a surprising source of motivation for his stellar play: New York Knicks’ recent collapse in Game 1 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals, where they blew a 14-point lead in the final three minutes of a 138-135 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
“I’m a die-hard Knicks fan, and that was historically one of the worst losses I’ve ever seen in my life,” Pak admitted. “There was a fire lit under me, yeah, this morning. I was a little (mad) about that.” Pak has one top-25 finish in 12 events this year, with seven made cuts. / FROM THE WIRES