This PGA contender lost its swing. He found it by accepting something simple

Anyone with meaning or money would show you this Sunday, Scottie Scheffler likely to complete his third major victory and first PGA championship I win this is impressive as heck; It is simply not necessarily surprising.

What IS Surprising is the boy in third place. And what is satisfying is the way he got there.

Davis Riley is a very good golf player and has been for years; He was twice all-American in Alabama and seemed destined for success at the next level. He won in Tournament with the Corn TragedHe played his way to PGA Tour and last year he won there. But then? Things suddenly made it difficult.

Riley’s make In the 2024 challenge Charles Schwab, a year ago next week, came out of nowhere; It was his first end-10 end of the season. But the stretch that came behind was even more whitewashed: he played 11 tournaments the rest of the year and his best result was T38. Particularly disappointing was the lack of his control with his handcuffs, which had always been a hallmark of his game when he was playing the best.

He made the turn in 2025 and things seemed worse; He shot 80 in his first tour of the year and eventually withdrew, then lost his next four cuts. But then? Something clicked. He made the cut in the connoisseur, then hit the Top 10 in Puerto Rico, then again in the Vlawspar. He posted a strong T21 conclusion to the masters. And now, at the second Major of the year, it enters the last round T3; He will leave in the penultimate pairing.

So how would he do it? Particularly pleasant: being yourself.

“It was a big enough struggle to start the year, and, yes, there were some changes I made in my swinging trying to get back to some of my old DNA,” Riley said after Saturday’s round in Quail Hollow. What it means is that Riley rejected the idea of ​​perfect and embraced the idea of ​​being himself. More specifically it means that he hugged hitting a draw with his handcuffs (and a small cut with his driver).

“Easy, we golf players, get obsessive for neutral,” Riley said. This is an underestimation; especially in this era of driving Starting MonitorsIt is easy for the good to follow the perfect number. Riley was caught in that game. “I spent a lot of season out of the outside trying to really run my ball flight and almost even see a little cut with my handcuffs,” he said.

At the beginning of 2025, he tried to engage in the same ball flight in competition. He would aim for the flag, planning a straight ball or a little cut. But then he would receive conditional, stuck between his ideal and his DNA.

“It was just a really difficult place for me,” he said. But now? Riley is bowing to what feels good. His explanation of his work with coach Jeff Smith:

“So I feel like when I am playing my best golf I see for a 5- or 10-Obor with my handcuffs and seeing that trail about one and a half to two (degrees). I spent a lot of time in the outside season trying to neutralize it. With longer things, I will say 7- to 4-Herkuri, I could not start. zeroed and did not really work for me.

“I am starting to see a lot of that proper curvature, and I think having control with my handcuffs and the driver has been a great reason why I have played better.”

Some versions of to be yourself is the scary advice for life, and often good tips for shaking; Something something we hear echoes between the good of the resurrection again and again. But being yourself is, of course, a better strategy if “yourself” is Davis Riley, one of the most talented players on the planet.

He is, if you are going to accept the cliché, already a winner to make it away. Now all that is left to be done current The winner is following world no. 1. How much do Riley want?

“Really bad,” he said. “I would like to stay on 18 Green holding that trophy. But there are a lot of left golf, and I’m just looking forward to the challenge. No matter what happens, I will try my best and try to do a good fight, and if I can do it and stay within myself, I will be really happy.”

“Happy” sounds better than “neutral”, however.

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