PONTE VEDRA BEACH (Fla.) — As Scottie SchefflerStanding over his ball in the rough, above a greenside bunker, on Sunday’s eighth hole of the Stadium Course, the men trying chase him in the final round were self-imploding.
Australia’s Min Woo LeeScheffler started the round in second, two strokes behind Lee, but he had already recorded a triple-bogey 7 at the par-4 fourth hole. Lee’s ball was left in the sand after a second misguided approach shot. 8. It led to another bogey. It wouldn’t be his final.
Japan’s Hideki YamayamaThe 2021 Masters champion, attempted to make a late run with four birdies in front and three straight back. The double bogey on 14th par-4 was followed by a bogey on 18th par-4. His tee shot on 18th had settled in pine straw and resulted in another bogey.
Max HomaScheffler has never been able to match his playing ability. Rory McIlroyOr Jon RahmAlso, this season, it was also within striking distance. Homa made just one birdie on Homa’s front nine, and he went 4 under on his first three holes back. Homa had a terrible moment when his tee shot hit a sunbaked green at the 17th par-3 and bounced off the water. He was out of contention after a double-bogey 5.
Scheffler was in chaos all around him and did what he seems to always do: he put his wedge down and chipped his ball a few feet from the hole. He calmly pulled out his wedge and chipped his ball to the hole a few feet away. Then he watched his first birdie of this round roll in. Scheffler took a 3-shot lead, and the Players was over. Scheffler birdied the four remaining holes to take a 6-shot lead.
Scheffler, 26-year-old, won by five strokes over England. Tyrrell Hatton7 over Norway’s Viktor HovlandAnd Tom Hoge. It was the Players’ largest win margin since 1993. Stephen Ames6 won in 2006.
A little over a year ago, many golf fans wondered if Scheffler would win on tour. To win his first PGA Tour title at the WM Phoenix Open, February 2022, Scheffler had to make 71 professional starts. Scheffler has won just 26 times in the 13 months that have followed. FiveHe was awarded his first major at The Masters three more times.
Scheffler won the fifth major and was awarded $4.5 million. This is the largest payout in the history of men’s golf. Scheffler has collected more than $35,000,000 in purses and bonuses since the start of last year.
“I didn’t feel any other.” [after winning for the first time]Scheffler stated that he is more comfortable knowing what he needs to do than he is. “I think that I thought that before Phoenix I had the idea that I needed to play flawlessly every Sunday and hit all my shots. But that’s not how golf works. It is rare that I hit it the way I want and only a few times per tournament. It’s mostly about managing your way around a course. [Caddie] Teddy [Scott]A huge part of that was just helping me be patient and just trusting myself. He’s been an integral part of that on the course.
Scheffler also reclaimed No. Scheffler also reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings for the third time in his professional career. Rahm, who was ranked No. Rahm, who was ranked No.1 in the world, had to withdraw from the second round due to a stomach bug. McIlroy couldn’t hit his driver straight and didn’t make a putt, so he missed the cut.
Scheffler joined Tiger WoodsAnd Jack NicklausAs the only players to win both the Masters and Players in a 12-month period. Woods did it in 2001; Nicklaus did it twice from 1974 to ’76, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Woods and Scheffler are the only players to have won both of these tournaments at 26 years old or younger. Woods won three Masters and one Players tournaments before turning 27.
Scheffler said, “I think I get excited about a hard test.” “I feel like I can find ways to make pars and hang on there. This week, I think I had five. It’s really, really hard to do this here. That’s probably why I’m proudest of just being so solid. Yes, I enjoy the challenge of challenging golf courses.
Scheffler will return to Augusta National Golf Club next month with yet another trophy in hand. The Masters might dry-clean Scheffler’s green jacket after defending his Phoenix Open title last month and almost winning back-to-back at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Hatton said, “Yeah he’s very impressive,” and posted a 7 under 65 on Sunday to place solo second and collect $2.725 millions. “Incredibly consistent. He has enjoyed a 15-month stretch of amazing golf. Played with him last Sunday [at Bay Hill]He didn’t play his best on that day, but he persevered and was still in the mix at the end. It’s hard to keep your head up when you don’t feel your best, and still have a chance to win.
Scheffler’s Sunday mistake was not what anyone expected. Scheffler’s style makes vanilla seem like a rocky road, but it is almost foolproof. He is a great player on fairways as well as greens. He never puts himself on the wrong side. He can hit chip shots and approaches close enough to the hole so he doesn’t have to be a great putter. Scheffler never makes a mistake again. No one on the tour is better at getting back up.
Jordan SpiethScheffler is a friend of spieth’s back in Dallas and they play a lot together. He said that it would be unfair for him to call his performance over the past 13 month a “run.” Spieth won seven times, including three majors, on tour in 2015-16.
Spieth stated, “That golf is pretty amazing, given that he lost in a couple of playoffs and his top-10s were off the charts,” He’s just so good. He is extremely grounded, both because of the people around him and his wiring. He’s blessed with great parents and a strong family. [His coach]Randy Smith has been around a long time and he’s been here for all of his life. So I don’t see it changing. He’s in a great position to continue this for a while.”
Scheffler is actually getting better. Scheffler is more daring on the green, according to Max Homa and Spieth.
“He’s got great hands. Spieth stated that he has every shot. “When you are presented with these shots, you must play them in a certain way if you don’t feel like you have enough money. But if you feel like it doesn’t matter, you will play the shot closest to your goal, even though it could lead to disaster. You don’t have to sit still and do it. It will be done, similar to how Phil Mickelsonhe played the majority of his rounds.”
Added Homa He is a great stabbing spinner. He has the best kind of soft one from the rough. He’s very artistic, I feel. He sees them going in the hole.
Scheffler may feel that he has nothing left to lose, according to Spieth.
“I started trusting flop shots and stuff, instead of making sure that you have a putt at the ball,” Spieth said. “You’re like, “No, I’m going try and see this go into,’ and I feel that he’s just playing like this. He has nothing to lose and everything he can gain. It’s a very nice place to be. I’ve been there.”
