Scottie Scheffler kept coming back to the same answer when asked in different ways how a day that began with optimism at the U.S. Open turned into a 5 1/2-hour slog that left him well off the front page of the leaderboard.

The winner of three of his last four starts had an uncharacteristically poor Thursday afternoon, but he goes right back out Friday morning.

That's when something primal snapped. Scheffler's wedge became the victim of his accumulated fury as he drove it into the Pennsylvania turf. The impact sent a spray of dirt and grass flying, punctuating the afternoon's frustration with an exclamation point that echoed across the suddenly silent gallery.

Which PGA Tour money leaders are in the field for this week's U.S. Open? The short answer is just about all of them.

Golf Channel’s Paul McGinley said, "He’s not been himself at all today. His stats are bad and he’s hit a lot of poor shots for him."

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler struggle as JJ Spaun sets early pace at Oakmont - Only ten players finished the first round under-par

Scottie Scheffler has been such a big favorite in golf that he had to get rid of his Venmo account. Turns out he was getting requests from fans who either paid him a few bucks for their betting wins or were asking for refunds.

Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa among those challenging world No 1 Scottie Scheffler for US Open victory at Oakmont; Watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports

Scottie Scheffler is known for his stoicism and remaining focused, both on and off the course. But that was apparently not always the case.