Though Scottie Scheffler sits in 15th position through two rounds at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Bay Hill’s merciless greens got him on the 18th on Friday. His day ended with a missed 10-footer for par at the par-4 18th, igniting an already frustrated Scheffler.

He plucked the ball from the cup after his tap-in bogey and immediately chucked it into the lake. His frustration for the day began when he hit the approach on the par-4 15th. He thought he flagged maybe a few feet from the hole, but when he arrived at the green, he discovered that his ball was in a bunker and, even worse, in a plugged lie.

He then hit a 30-footer to save his par there. This was one of the two putts he converted on the day from outside of 30 feet, the second one being a 38-footer for birdie on the par-4 5th. Overall, Scheffler carded a 1-under 71 in Round 2, finishing at 3-under after 36 holes. He is 10 shots off the lead. But the bogey on 18 clearly stung. Considering his recent pattern and performance, frustration is understandable.

Scheffler entered the Arnold Palmer Invitational following three rounds in which he performed below his expectations. He posted a 2-over 73 in Round 1 of the WM Phoenix Open, an even-par 72 at Pebble Beach, and a 3-over 74 to open the Genesis Invitational.

He had shrugged off concerns heading into this week, saying he was not too concerned over a tiny sample size, but the visible frustration at 18 suggested the slow start to 2026 was weighing on him more than he let on. To his credit, Scottie Scheffler had done a bit right through both rounds at Bay Hill. In Round 1, he birdied holes 1, 4, 13, and 16 while debuting a new TaylorMade Qi4D driver, which he said delivered more consistent spin numbers off the tee.

Bay Hill is not forgiving from the rough, with greens-in-regulation from the rough sitting at just 42.3% against the Tour average of 51.6%. Scheffler gained over half a stroke on the field off the tee in R1, a sign the switch was working.

The situation is not the first time Scheffler has let his emotions get the better of him. At the RBC Heritage in April 2025, he tried to shape his approach around a tree on the par-4 8th at Harbour Town, caught the branches instead, and watched the ball drop into a bunker 60 yards short of the green. On his way to hand the club back to caddie Ted Scott, he stopped, kept hold of it, and drove it into the turf. At the 2025 US Open, when his promising approach on the 14th at Oakmont drifted away from the pin, he slammed his club into the ground.

The clip spread quickly once it hit X, and fans were not short of opinions.

Fans react as Scottie Scheffler’s Bay Hill frustration goes viral.

“No. 1 in the world, lol,” said one fan.

Scheffler sits atop the world rankings, has 20 PGA Tour wins, and became the first under-30 player to reach that milestone since Tiger Woods. Observing him toss a ball into the water following a bogey was not a sight to behold.

“Didn’t take long for his stock to tank. He’s already washed up,” one fan wrote sarcastically.

“He’s so different this season. Wonder what’s going on?” one fan wrote.

Scheffler has been dominating on the PGA Tour for a couple of years now. In 2024, he won 7 times; in 2025, he earned 6 victories, despite a late start because of a wrist injury. So far, with his 1 win and other top finishes, the golf world hasn’t seen his dominance like in previous years.

“I did the same thing the other day at my course. I can play like Scottie!” wrote one fan, taking a funny jab.

“Same dude who the media will show his quote ‘winning doesn’t define me’ but acts like a little kid when shit doesn’t go his way. I love Scottie as a player and man, but they have to stop treating him like Jesus,” read another reaction.

The 29-year-old has been widely praised for his composure and perspective, often crediting his faith when asked about handling pressure. He even said after winning the Open that winning does not matter to him as much.

The bigger picture is that Scheffler’s 2026 season has been productive but below his own extraordinary standards. He won the American Express and has four top-12 finishes in four starts. But outside of January’s win, the rounds have been uneven, with inconsistent performances leading to missed opportunities. At Bay Hill, he will need rounds to win. Can he bounce back?