DUBLIN, Ohio — Scottie Scheffler by no means misplaced the lead and by no means gave anybody a lot of an opportunity down the stretch Sunday in one other relentless efficiency, closing with a 2-under 70 for a four-shot victory to hitch Tiger Woods as the one repeat winners of the Memorial.
Slowed due to hand surgical procedure at first of the 12 months after an accident, Scheffler seems in full stride with one main already within the bag and one other across the nook on the U.S. Open.
“It is all the time a tough week,” stated Scheffler, who completed at 10-under 278. “We battled actually arduous on the weekend. General, it was an important week.”
On one of many more durable PGA Tour checks of the 12 months, Scheffler made one bogey over the ultimate 40 holes at Muirfield Village.
“Properly, you probably did it once more,” match host Jack Nicklaus informed him whereas strolling off the inexperienced.
Scheffler is the primary participant to win three PGA Tour occasions by 4 or extra pictures in consecutive seasons since Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson in 1945 and 1946, in line with ESPN Analysis. Nelson did it from 1944 to 46.
Ben Griffin tried to make it attention-grabbing on the finish with a 12-foot eagle on the par-5 fifteenth and a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-3 sixteenth to shut inside two pictures with two to play. Scheffler, nevertheless, does not make errors. Griffin made double bogey on the seventeenth.
Griffin made a 4-foot par on the 18th for a 73 to complete alone in second, value $2.2 million, greater than what he earned when he received at Colonial final week.
Sepp Straka (70) completed one other shot again.
“You recognize Scottie’s in all probability going to play a superb spherical of golf. The man’s relentless. He loves competitors, and he does not like giving up pictures,” Straka stated. “However it’s a kind of programs the place it may well all the time occur, so you bought to be ready for it. I felt like I gave myself loads of possibilities to sort of make a push.”
Scheffler has received 3 times in his previous 4 begins — the exception was Colonial, a tie for fourth the week after successful the PGA Championship — and expanded his margin at No. 1 on the planet to ranges not seen since Woods in his peak years.
Woods, who’s a five-time winner at Memorial, received three straight from 1999 by way of 2001. Nobody had repeated at Muirfield Village since then till Scheffler.
His performances these days look much more like Nicklaus, the way in which he wears down the sphere by hardly ever getting out of place.
Rickie Fowler had his first prime 10 of the 12 months at simply the suitable time.
He made par on the 18th to tie for seventh, incomes him a spot within the Open Championship. Fowler tied with Brandt Snedeker at 1-under 287, however will get the one Open exemption accessible primarily based on the next world rating — Fowler at No. 124, Snedeker at No. 430.
“That is one I’ve wished on the schedule,” stated Fowler, who faces a 36-hole qualifier for the U.S. Open on Monday.
Each obtained sponsor exemptions to the Memorial, a signature occasion on the PGA Tour.
For Scheffler, it was his fifth victory in a $20 million signature occasion previously two years. This one regarded inevitable, however solely after a fast growth early on the again 9.
Scheffler ended 31 holes and not using a bogey at powerful Muirfield Village on the tenth gap, dropping his result in one shot. Griffin had 4 toes for birdie on the par-5 eleventh. Scheffler made his 15-foot birdie putt and Griffin missed.
Griffin bogeyed the following two holes, and identical to that, Scheffler was 4 pictures forward. That is the way it was on the PGA Championship — tight one minute, a blowout the following, and the sweetest stroll towards the 18th inexperienced with victory safe.
This one led to a handshake with Nicklaus, who had stated earlier within the week of Scheffler, “He performs loads like I did.”
Nicklaus stated he was all about fairways and greens, having loads of possibilities and making sufficient of them to put up a rating. That is the Scheffler manner, too, even when it did not all the time look that manner at first of the ultimate spherical.
With mud on the golf ball within the first fairway, an excessive amount of spin on quick irons on the following few holes, Scheffler did not have a birdie putt till the fifth gap. He saved par seven instances within the ultimate spherical, together with the ultimate gap.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
