Scottie Scheffler seems to have it at Maridoe Golf Club, site of two charity golf events in the past three weeks. With little competitive golf opportunities on the table these past few months, the Maridoe Samaritan Fund Invitational has been a coveted opportunity for pros, college players and even junior.
Tournament organizer Alison Morrison filled both fields in a matter of hours. She had a waiting list for this week’s 2.0 version of the Maridoe tournament.
Scheffler, still gunning for his first PGA Tour title, clipped Will Zalatoris and Viktor Hovland by one and two shots, respectively, to win the last event on April 30. He’s at the top of the leaderboard after Tuesday’s opening round of this follow-up event.
Leaderboard: Maridoe Samaritan Fund Invitational 2.0
Players competed for Maridoe’s caddies last month – with Scheffler donating all $9,000 of his first-place prize to that cause – but this time out it’s a choose-your-own-charity setup.
“The tagline is, who do you play for?” Morrison told Golfweek.
Scheffler bogeyed his opening hole but rebounded quickly with a birdie at No. 4 and an eagle at No. 6. He played the back nine in 3 under for a 67 that left him tied at the top of the leaderboard with four-time Tour winner Ryan Palmer and new pro Brandon Wu, who last teed it up in a Tour event in February.
Sebastián Muñoz, winner of last fall’s Sanderson Farms Championship, opened with a 68 that left him tied for fourth.
A handful of collegians – many from schools in Texas and Oklahoma – appear in the field again this week. Baylor senior Cooper Dossey had 69 to check in as the highest amateur on the leaderboard. He was tied for sixth with Talor Gooch.
A six-way tie for eighth includes Arizona State sophomore Cameron Sisk and Texas sophomore Parker Coody along with pros Will Gordon, Austin Cook, Blaine Hale and Sebastian Crampton.
The field included eight junior invites and Wake Forest commit Michael Brennan brought in the best score among that group with 71. He’s tied with both Zalatoris and Hovland at 1 under.
