What saved him was his putter, which allowed him to end the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Flordia, with a share of the lead with Irishman Shane Lowry.
Scheffler, the world's top-ranked player, one-putted his final seven greens, four of them for birdie, for a two-under 70 on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).
Lowry also bounced back with two late birdies, one from just outside 30 feet on the par-three 17th, for a 70.
They were at nine-under 207, one shot ahead of US Open champion Wyndham Clark.
All three owe a small debt of gratitude to American Will Zalatoris, who had a five-shot lead at one point, only to make two double bogeys over the final five holes.
It was a bad day at the office for the three Australians left in the field.
Cam Davis was the best-placed Aussie, tied for 31st place at even par after rounds of 72, 70 and 74.
Jason Day was a stroke further back after carding a third-round 73 to be tied for 39th place.
Min Woo Lee also had a day he would rather forget, carding a four-over 76 to be in a tie for 44th place at two-over for the tournament.
On another steamy day, Zalatoris blistered the front nine with a 32 and reached five-under for the day with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 11th. He was five shots clear of the field, and Scheffler at that point was six behind.
But then Zalatoris ended 42 consecutive holes without a bogey by failing to save par from a bunker on the 14th.
That was only the start. His drive on the 15th went into a bunker, leaving a sketchy lie and blocked by trees. He went into the rough, hit to 35 feet and three-putted for double bogey.
On the closing hole, Zalatoris caught a flyer from the first cut and plugged into a back bunker, leaving a downhill shot on greens with dying grass and no friction. He blasted out back into the fairway, pitched to five feet and missed the putt.
All those birdies early, the big mess late, and it added to a 71. Even so, he was still just two shots behind.
Hideki Matsuyama had two late birdies and closed with a great save, going deep into the rough on the 18th, chopping back to the fairway and hitting a lob wedge that danced around the cup and set up a short par putt. He had a 72, as did Russell Henley, joining Zalatoris on 209.
Scheffler had four bogeys, the most for him in his past 22 rounds on the PGA Tour, dating back to the third round of the Tour Championship.
"I needed a lot of patience," Scheffler said. "It's a tough place to play. It's tough to make putts, it's tough to get the ball close to the hole. I'm proud of how I finished."
17°C