PGA TOUR
THE PLAYERS Championship
Scheffler Wins THE PLAYERS Championship
America’s Scottie Scheffler overcame a star-studded field to win THE PLAYERS Championship by five shots. With the win, the 26-year-old will return to world No. 1 replacing Jon Rahm at the summit of men’s golf. England’s Tyrrell Hatton took outright second place after a stunning final round 7-under 65. Australia’s Min Woo Lee got within one-shot of Scheffler after making a birdie at the opening hole before falling out of contention.
Scheffler fired all four rounds in the 60s at TPC Sawgrass with scores of 68, 69, 65 and 69 to reach 17-under. The Texan, who took a two-shot lead into the final round, bounced back from an early bogey at the 3rd hole with five consecutive birdies from the 8th hole. Scheffler, making his 97th PGA Tour start, now boats six PGA Tour titles with all wins coming in his last 27 outings. The last three players to earn six titles in less than 100 starts on the PGA Tour were Rory McIlroy (53rd start), Jordan Spieth (83rd start) and Justin Thomas (92nd start). The major winner joins Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only golfers to hold both THE PLAYERS and Masters titles at the same time. Scheffler will earn the massive US$4.5 million winner’s cheque. Nicklaus banked US$50,000 for winning the first PLAYERS Championship in 1974.
Hatton (65) produced the best score on Sunday besting the field by three shots in his attempt to become the first Englishman to win THE PLAYERS. The 31-year-old tied the back nine scoring record at THE PLAYERS with his 7-under 29. The world No. 24 finished at 12-under.
Norway’s Viktor Hovland and America’s Tom Hoge claimed a share of third place at 10-under. Hovland covered the back nine in 33 shots to return a 4-under 68 score. Hoge’s high finish was unlikely after the 33-year-old signed for a 78 on Thursday to sit 133rd after the opening round. The 2022 Pebble Beach Pro Am winner made the halfway cut on the number with his 4-under 68 second round before carding 62 and 70 on the weekend for the lowest 36-hole finish in PLAYERS history. His sizzling 10-under 62 on Saturday was a new course record at TPC Sawgrass.
Lee and Cam Davis were the best-placed Australians finishing at 8-under and in a tie for 6th place. Both players were in the hunt for a podium finish before dropping shots during the final day. Davis posted a 2-over 74. Lee returned a 4-over 76.
What a difference a day makes for Aaron Rai at the infamous 17th hole. The 28-year-old Englishman, who fired a hole-in-one at the ‘Island Green’ par 3 on Saturday, posted a triple-bogey six on Sunday.
The PGA Tour remains in Florida for next week’s Valspar Championship staged at Innisbrook Resort. America’s Sam Burns is the defending champion.
Final Scores
THE PLAYERS Championship
1. Scottie Scheffler -17
2. Tyrell Hatton -12
T3. Viktor Hovland -10
T3. Tom Hoge -10
5. Hideki Matsuyama -9
T6. Min Woo Lee -8
T6. Max Homa -8
T6. Justin Suh -8
T6. Justin Rose -8
T6. David Lingmerth -8
T6. Sungjae Im -8
T6. Cam Davis -8
Other Australians
T19. Jason Day -6
71. Adam Scott +5
72. Aaron Baddeley +7
MC. Harrison Endycott
MC. Lucas Herbert
Photo credit:Sam Greenwood/ /Getty Images
