Reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year, Scottie Scheffler, moved back to the highest sport within the newest golf rankings after successful the Players Championship.
The reigning Masters winner had constructed a two-shot lead by 54 holes earlier than closing out an thrilling occasion at TPC Sawgrass.
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Big threats on the PGA TOUR
But as Scheffler began Sunday’s closing spherical slowly, scratching his method to six pars and a bogey over the primary seven holes, his lead got here below assault from myriad instructions. Hideki Matsuyama made six birdies in an eight-hole stretch.
Max Homa performed the primary three holes of the back 9 in 4 below par. Viktor Hovland made 4 birdies in a five-hole stretch beginning at No. 9.
And Tyrrell Hatton birdied his final 5 holes to shoot the primary back-nine 29 on a Sunday at TPC Sawgrass.
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When Scheffler’s tee shot on the par-3 eighth trickled onto a grassy slope lining a greenside bunker, it appeared like his slide might proceed. But what wasn’t discernible on the time is that the location of Scheffler’s tee shot was a crafty determination primarily based on intimate data of the course. Scheffler and his caddie, Ted Scott, knew that being pin-high would depart a troublesome par save due to the quantity of slope within the inexperienced. He’d have a a lot better probability to make par if his strategy shot was wanting the outlet, even when it wasn’t on the inexperienced.
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“If I wasn’t playing that smart, I would have been in a really tough position,” Scheffler stated after his round.
Instead, he was left with what he referred to as “a very gettable up-and-down.”
Scheffler went massive
“I wanted to get as big of a lead as I could,” Scheffler stated, conscious that any Players champion should move by 17 and 18.
He exhaled when his tee shot on 17 hit the inexperienced, understanding that his work was all however achieved. Even although his lead grew as massive as a half-dozen on the back 9, Scheffler instructed Scott that he was exhausted as he walked down the ultimate fairway.
The victory, Scheffler’s second in his final 4 begins, moved him back to No. 1 on this planet and third within the FedExCup standings. He joined Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the one gamers to concurrently maintain the Masters and PLAYERS titles.
Like his win final yr at Augusta National, a greenside hole-out performed an vital a part of his closing spherical. It’s a testomony to Scheffler’s tender fingers and a brief sport that provides a robust complement to his elite ball-striking.
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