Scottie Scheffler becomes first
back-to-back winner at The Players
Send a link to a friend
[March 18, 2024]
Scottie Scheffler fired a final-round, 8-under 64 Sunday to
become the first player in the 50-year history of The Players
Championship to win at TPC Sawgrass in consecutive years.
Scheffler finished the week 20-under 268 to claim his second
straight Players victory in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
"It's pretty special," said Scheffler, the first golfer to win the
Players twice since Tiger Woods (2001, 2013). "That's something you
never really get the opportunity to do very often. It's tough enough
to win one Players, so to have it back-to-back is extremely
special."
The World No. 1 -- who fought through neck pain earlier in the
tournament -- started the day five shots off the pace of 54-hole
leader Xander Schauffele.
After racking up an eagle and six birdies to get to 20 under, he
watched as Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark and Schauffele were unable to
pull out one more birdie to force a playoff.
Clark's bid to tie, on nearly the exact putt Harman missed moments
before, traced the left rim of the cup around the back and out.
Harman (68 on Sunday), Clark (69) and Schauffele (70) tied for
second at 19 under. Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick (69) finished fifth
at 16 under.
Scheffler was in the mix to start the week after opening with a
5-under 67. His neck troubles came Friday, when he felt a pinch
during a swing and needed mid-round treatment.
"I played really good golf on Thursday," Scheffler said. "I made an
early birdie, I think I was 2 under through four on Friday so I was
right in the thick of the tournament.
"All of a sudden I get that pinch in my neck, and I gutted it out
around there, getting it around in a few under par, keeping myself
in the tournament. Same thing Saturday. I said before when you get
an acute injury like that, if you can wake up the next day feeling a
little bit better or the exact same, it's a win."
[to top of second column] |
Scheffler also won on tour for the second straight
week, having captured his second career Arnold Palmer Invitational
title last week in Orlando. He has six top-10 finishes in seven
starts this season.
"I think mentally it can be very taxing," Scheffler
said. "Physically it's fairly taxing, as well, but mentally it's a
lot of fun being in the final groups, but it also takes a toll on
your body and your mind.
"So, yeah, there's definitely a big mental aspect to that. But
that's the most fun. It's the most fun you can have on a golf
course, I think, is being in contention."
Scheffler kick-started his low round by holing out for an eagle 2 at
the fourth. His wedge shot into the green bounced three times,
picked up some side spin and dropped in the hole.
After an 18-footer and a 16-footer for birdies, he made four more
birdies from Nos. 8-12 to catapult up the board while Schauffele and
company tried to keep pace.
Clark, looking for another big trophy to add to his growing
collection (the U.S. Open, the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and more),
birdied Nos. 16 and 17 to get close. He stuck his tee shot at the
famed 17th to 4 1/2 feet.
But his birdie try from 17 feet out at the 18th refused to fall.
"I don't know how that putt doesn't go in," Clark said. "It was kind
of right center with like a foot to go, and I knew it was going to
keep breaking, but it had speed and I thought it was going to (go
in) inside left, and even when it kind of lipped, I thought it would
lip in. I'm pretty gutted it didn't go in."
--Field Level Media
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely
responsible for this content.
|