Scottie Scheffler heads into the weekend at Augusta National with work to do. After a solid opening round, the world number one stumbled on Friday, posting a two-over 74 that left him five shots adrift of Rory McIlroy before the Northern Irishman had even teed off.

While his ball-striking looked sharp for stretches, uncharacteristic iron play and a costly visit to the water on the 13th led to four bogeys. For a player of Scheffler's caliber, a five-shot deficit is far from insurmountable, especially at a Major where momentum can shift with a single charge on the back nine. However, the Texan knows exactly what must change if he's to don a third Green Jacket.

Speaking after his round, Scheffler pinpointed the issue: his putting. "I would like to hole a few more putts," he stated. "I felt like it was rolling nice today, but just—balls just weren't dropping. Maybe my reads were a little bit off... I felt like I definitely played better than my score."

The stats back him up; he lost over two strokes to the field on the greens. An average putting performance would have likely seen him finish at even par, keeping him firmly in the hunt. In a tournament where precision is paramount, a hot putter can turn near-misses into birdies and salvage pars from difficult positions.

When asked if the deficit would force him to adopt a more aggressive, flag-hunting approach, Scheffler emphasized the unique challenge of Augusta. "You can’t force anything around this place," he cautioned, acknowledging the fine line between a bold play and a disastrous one. His plan is simple: "Go get a bit of practice, get some rest, and get ready for tomorrow."

As the weekend unfolds, all eyes will be on whether Scheffler can find his rhythm on Augusta's famously slick greens. If he does, the leaderboard could look very different by Sunday evening.