Scottie Scheffler’s only other time playing in Western New York? He withdrew

Scottie Scheffler might win this week’s PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club, or he might not. Just don’t expect the world No. 2 to withdraw.

In his professional career, Scheffler has never withdrawn a tournament that he started. He was forced to pull out of the 2020 U.S. Open because of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, but other than that, Scheffler has been a PGA Tour ironman.

The same can’t be said of the last – and only other time – Scheffler has played a tournament in the Rochester, New York, area.

“It was the only tournament that I recall withdrawing from,” Scheffler said. A quick search of his WAGR profile corroborates that assessment.

The tournament Scheffler is speaking of came in 2016 at the Monroe Invitational, a summer amateur event held annually at Monroe Golf Club. Scheffler’s Texas teammate and roommate Gavin Hall was from Rochester, and so Scheffler signed up for the event and stayed at the Hall family’s home.

“I woke up with a big crick in my neck, and it was really cold here, and I played the first round – and I’m never one to withdraw. I’ll limp in. I want to finish, and I want to compete,” said Scheffler, who opened the event in 77, 11 shots off the lead after 18 holes. “But my dad ended up – he was here, and he ended up calling my coach, and Randy [Smith] called me on the phone and was like, yeah, you really just need to be mature here and come home. It was like 50 degrees, the wind was blowing 20 [mph], and I had the U.S. Open next week. I listened to Randy.”

Full-field tee times from the PGA Championship

Sean Crocker would win the Monroe that year while Scheffler went on to fire a first-round 69 in his major debut at Oakmont before missing the cut.

Now, Scheffler is back in town.

“Hopefully,” he said, “this tournament lasts a little bit longer than one round for me.”