Scottie Scheffler fires 60 at Travelers, leads Viktor Hovland
Scottie Scheffler shot a 10-under 60 in the second round of the 2026 Travelers Championship on Friday, jumping to 16 under and a two-shot lead over Viktor Hovland at TPC River Highlands. The world No. 1 nearly joined Jim Furyk as the only PGA Tour players with two sub-60 rounds but missed a birdie putt on the 18th hole.
Key Takeaways
- Scheffler made 11 birdies and one bogey Friday for a 60 after opening with a six-under 64.
- Viktor Hovland sits alone in second at 14 under after a bogey-free 61 that tied his career-best PGA Tour round.
- Scheffler needed a birdie on either of his last two holes to shoot 59; he parred both at a venue that has seen seven rounds of 60 or lower in 15 years.
- The 36-hole lead reverses a 2026 trend in which Scheffler had been a slow starter with few early-week leads.
- Friday marked Scheffler's best statistical putting round on Tour, gaining 4.78 strokes on the greens.
How did Scottie Scheffler shoot 60 at the Travelers?
Scheffler set the early target on a day of extreme low scoring at the final signature event of the PGA Tour regular season. On a soft TPC River Highlands layout, he birdied Nos. 5 through 8 to turn in 30 and kept rolling in the afternoon.
He finished with 11 birdies against a lone bogey. According to the PGA Tour, he hit 17 of 18 fairways and posted the best putting performance of his career by strokes gained. Scheffler later downplayed the fireworks, saying some days putts hang on the edge and other days they find the cup.
"At the end of the day, I was very focused on just my execution out there," Scheffler said. "I've put myself in position now this week. Go home, get some rest, and get ready for tomorrow."
Where does Viktor Hovland stand after Round 2?
Viktor Hovland is alone in second at 14 under, two shots behind Scheffler. Playing three groups ahead, Hovland fired a nine-under 61 with seven birdies and an eagle, matching his career best on Tour.
He needed birdies on the final two holes to shoot 59 but settled for pars. After the round, Hovland said he has been working to get his swing back to a place where he can step over the ball without overthinking. The PGA Tour noted his best-ball score with Bud Cauley on Friday was a 58.
Did Scheffler nearly make PGA Tour history again?
Yes. Scheffler's birdie try on the 18th stopped short, leaving him one shot shy of a second sub-60 round. He previously shot 59 in the second round of the 2020 Northern Trust at rain-softened TPC Boston.
Only Jim Furyk has broken 60 twice on the PGA Tour. Furyk also owns the course record at TPC River Highlands with a final-round 58, a detail Scheffler joked takes some shine off a possible 59. "Yeah, it would be cool to shoot 59, but somebody has already shot 58 here," he said.
Why does this 36-hole lead matter for Scheffler's season?
Days after a tie for fourth at the U.S. Open, Scheffler reversed a pattern he questioned last week. He said he had not held many 36-hole leads and had no 54-hole leads in 2026, despite ranking top-three in scoring for rounds two through four while sitting 57th in first-round scoring.
That slow-start storyline fits the kind of odd sports twist readers track in our Bizarre News & Florida Man coverage. This week looks different: Scheffler improved on both his Thursday and Friday marks and now leads a tournament he won two years ago.
His last victory came at The American Express in January. With the weekend ahead, he brushed aside the idea that backing up a great round is hard. "I think when you are playing good, you're playing good," Scheffler said. "I just wouldn't overthink it."