Scottie Scheffler is competing in the third round of The Players Championship, and fans may have noticed there's black tape on the back of his neck, but what exactly is it?
Scheffler took to the course for his third round wearing the tape after there were worrying moments during the second round of the PGA Tour's flagship event when he needed to receive treatment on his neck.
Despite that, the problem barely knocked him off his stride as he carded a three-under 69 - his 25th successive under-par round on the PGA Tour - to head back to the clubhouse six behind overnight leader Wyndham Clark.
Nevertheless, after the round, Scheffler confirmed he would need more treatment on the issue and said: “I did what I could to kind of stay in the tournament today, and hopefully it'll loosen up and then I'll be able to make somewhat normal swings tomorrow.”
Scheffler duly returned to TPC Sawgrass for his third round as he continues his bid to become the first player in history to successfully defend his title at the event, this time wearing the tape, which, according to PGA Tour reporter Sean Martin, is KT Tape.
Scottie still occasionally rubbing his neck and is wearing KT tape. The physical therapist who treated him yesterday is out here but has not done any work on him. Just seems to be shadowing him. pic.twitter.com/ycfCGOzDd7March 16, 2024
The product’s official website states that KT Tape is applied along “muscles, ligaments and tendons to provide a lightweight, external support that helps you remain active while recovering from injuries.”
Scheffler will certainly be hoping it does the trick. Following his second round he also described how the injury had affected his game, saying: “I hit a shot on my second hole today and I felt a little something in my neck, and then I tried to hit my tee shot on 12, and that's when I could barely get the club back.
“So I got some treatment, maybe it loosened up a tiny bit, but most of the day I was pretty much laboring to get the club somehow away from me.”
While Scheffler’s third round began promisingly, with a birdie on the second, it was clear he wasn’t 100%, and his first bogey of the day came on the fifth. After holing the putt, he rubbed his neck as he walked off the green.
Martin also reported that the physical therapist who treated Scheffler on the course during his second round is with him again during the third, but that appears to be precautionary and, at the time of writing, he hadn’t needed to be called upon.
