Scottie Scheffler isn’t someone you often see losing his cool, but Friday at Oakmont brought out a rare side of the world No. 1. During the second round, he was seen frustrated, and he made 5 bogeys, which landed him at 71 under par, and after the round was over, he didn’t head off to relax, but he chose to have a heated conversation with his coach.

There, cameras caught him in a tense moment with coach Randy Smith. They weren’t just casually chatting; Scheffler was clearly trying to figure something out. For a guy who’s been nearly unstoppable for a couple of years, something wasn’t clicking, and he knew it. That frustration had already boiled over earlier on the 12th hole.

After tugging his tee shot left into a tough spot, he snapped, “Dang it!” and slammed his driver into the ground. As he walked off, still annoyed, he muttered, “Make a swing… gosh, dang it,” under his breath. “It’s one of those places. There’s not a ton of strategy, I would say.” Scheffler told the media after the round that Oakmont had been pushing his limits all day, and that moment made it clear that no matter how good you are, this course can get in your head. Even Scheffler isn’t immune to the mental grind that comes with playing at Oakmont. After sleeping on the disappointment of the early rounds, he realized the impact of his reaction and looked to make amends.

“It is challenging in a lot of different senses, and it is especially challenging when you are not hitting the ball where you are looking,” Scottie Scheffler told Golf Channel after his third round at Oakmont. He showed he was clearly having a hard time with his tee shots and approaches, which made it tough to score on Oakmont’s brutal setup. But his coach did not take it seriously. “Randy was joking, saying, ‘That’s just another Friday on the range,’” he added to play down the tension after a frustrating second round at Oakmont.

Scottie managed to hang in there, leaning on his short game and putter to keep things from falling apart. “I still have an outside chance going into tomorrow… and get ready for a grind tomorrow,” he added. He finished at T11 after the 3rd round and is still very much in the game. Although he has an 8-shot deficit to the leader, Scottie and Oakmont should never be underestimated. Apart from his performance, what was the chit-chat with the coach about?

“I was just trying to figure things out. When I left the range, I didn’t feel much better than I did. That whole hour didn’t feel like it did a whole bunch,” Scheffler said. He was working through swing issues that had been affecting his accuracy and control at Oakmont. He had spent nearly an hour on the range with coach Randy Smith, trying to get back in rhythm, but admitted the session didn’t lead to any clear progress before the third round. But whatever they talked about worked for Scheffler.

“He gave me some good feels to think about when I went home. I definitely struck it better today,” Scheffler said about the advice he got from Smith after round two. Even though the range session didn’t bring immediate results, Scheffler mentioned that Randy’s feedback gave him swing thoughts or cues to work on later. He showed clear improvement with four birdies and better control throughout the day. But Scottie is not the only one at 11; he is accompanied by a long-time rival.

Ben Griffin and Scottie Scheffler’s neck-to-neck competition for the trophy

Ben Griffin has been quite loud about defeating Scheffler recently; it almost seems like his victory will be defined after beating Scheffler. Griffin held a strong T2 after Friday, stayed in the mix through Saturday, while Scottie Scheffler, once far behind, clawed his way back up the board. Griffin, ranked 15th in the world, isn’t shy about where he sees himself. “I feel like I am one of the top few golfers in the world,” he said during a USGA interview. This was nothing less than a warning to Scheffler. He’s playing with the kind of confidence that says he truly believes this U.S. Open is his to win.

“I’m excited to take down Scottie. After Memorial, I was so disappointed in finishing second.” Ben Griffin came heartbreakingly close to winning the Memorial but fell just short to Scheffler. Now, at the U.S. Open, it feels like he’s looking to turn the tables. It’s almost as if Griffin is chasing redemption, not just to win, but to make up for that sting of falling short last time.

He had a strong start this week, but as of now, both Griffin and Scheffler sit tied at T11. Griffin tees off at 12:31 PM, while Scottie follows at 1:04 PM. Is Griffin all talk, or will his game back up those loud, confident words? We’re about to find out.