ORLANDO, Fla. — Scottie Scheffler figured the straightforward resolution to his placing struggles was to give up making an attempt so arduous. That is what he did on the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and it wasn’t a good combat.
The very best on the planet from tee to inexperienced, Scheffler did not miss a putt inside 15 toes on the weekend. On a troublesome Sunday at Bay Hill, he performed bogey-free within the remaining group and closed with a 6-under 66, the perfect rating of the ultimate spherical by 2 photographs.
The end result was a 5-shot victory, the biggest at Bay Hill since Tiger Woods in 2012 and the biggest by a world No. 1 on the PGA Tour since Dustin Johnson on the Masters in 2020.
“It could be borderline unfair if he begins placing actually good,” U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark stated of Scheffler after ending second. “I by no means wish to want unwell on anyone, but when he begins placing constructive every week, it is going to be actually arduous to beat.”
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The constructive was in reference to the “strokes gained” statistic, thought to be probably the most correct measure. Scheffler normally is on the detrimental facet, with no match extra evident than the Memorial final 12 months, as he misplaced 8.5 photographs to the sphere in placing and missed a playoff by 1 shot.
“His ballstriking is, truthfully, on one other degree in comparison with everybody else proper now,” Rory McIlroy stated. “We knew if he began to gap putts, then this form of stuff would occur.”
Scheffler was merely unstoppable.
He holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the opening gap, constructed a 3-shot lead on the flip then poured it on as a Clark, Shane Lowry and Will Zalatoris have been merely making an attempt to outlive Bay Hill.
Scheffler hit wedge to eight toes for birdie on No. 10. He hit one other wedge to six toes on No. 11. He made key par saves then dropped in a 35-foot birdie on the fifteenth, letting out a yell with a lightweight fist pump.
“A part of the issue is simply making an attempt too arduous,” Scheffler stated. “It is irritating to not have the perfect of myself, simply because I do know that I can putt very well. It isn’t like I have been a nasty putter my entire profession. I’ve simply gone by a stretch the place it has been robust.
“I feel this week I did a extremely good job of not letting the misses get to me.”
Scheffler completed at 15-under 273 and received $4 million from the $20 million purse of this signature occasion. It was his seventh profession win, all towards among the strongest fields.
And it got here every week earlier than Scheffler defends his title at The Gamers Championship, which had been his final official PGA Tour win.
All that held him again over the previous 12 months was the putter. Scheffler switched to a mallet mannequin this week, however much more necessary was preserving quiet between the ears, pondering extra concerning the stroke than the result.
Each have been very good.
“I simply stayed in my very own little house and tried to maintain pushing,” Scheffler stated.
He had spoken earlier within the week about studying to quiet the thoughts. The trick was to dam out the noise — on this case, infinite questions on his placing — and give attention to one thing constructive. Scheffler additionally made certain to not let placing take away from the very fact he was enjoying golf like nobody else from tee to inexperienced.
“He confirmed as we speak why he is world No. 1,” stated Lowry, who began the day tied for the lead and by no means had an opportunity. Lowry completed with three birdies and 7 pars during the last 10 holes for a 72 to complete third.
Clark did the perfect at making an attempt to remain shut, and he was 2 photographs behind by eight holes. But it surely all turned so shortly. Clark drove into the tough and made bogey on the ninth gap then did not make one other birdie till the par-5 sixteenth.
Clark birdied the 18th for a fairly the comfort prize. He earned $2.2 million because the runner-up.
Zalatoris and Russell Henley every had a 72 and tied for fourth. Zalatoris secured a spot within the British Open for having the bottom rating amongst gamers not already exempt.
Scheffler’s lead atop the world rating bought even bigger over McIlroy, who had an opportunity to overhaul him with a victory at Bay Hill. McIlroy began the ultimate spherical 4 photographs behind and promptly shot 41 on the entrance 9. He shot 76 general and tied for twenty first.
“It is a tremendous robust golf course, and to be 6 beneath as we speak going out with the lead and simply form of lapping the sphere is tremendous spectacular,” McIlroy stated of Scheffler. “However all of us knew that he had this in him.”
This could at the least cease questions on Scheffler’s placing. He led the sphere in probably the most very important placing statistic on Sunday and ranked fifth for the week. This got here after he indicated earlier within the week how a lot the regular questions have been grating on him.
“If I get requested continually about placing, generally it appears like I am not enjoying nicely. However I am enjoying fairly darn good,” he stated on Monday whereas on the TPC Sawgrass.
Bay Hill was the proper reminder.
“It had been some time since I received,” Scheffler stated. “There had been lots of chatter about my sport and the state of the place it was at, and so it was good to sort of are available in right here with an excellent psychological perspective and to carry out nicely beneath stress.
“And I feel as we speak’s spherical was actually particular for me going ahead.”
Info from The Related Press was used on this report.
