Miami (AFP) – Masters champion Scottie Scheffler wrapped up his fourth win of the year on Monday, securing victory by three strokes at the delayed finish to the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head.
A two-and-a-half hour storm and rain delay meant play was suspended on Sunday with Scheffler still having three holes to complete with a five-stroke lead.
Related news
The world number one took care of business making par on the 16th and 17th before ending with a bogey on the final hole — his first since a double bogey on the third hole of the tournament.
Sahith Theegala made a 28-foot birdie putt on 16 to finish solo second, his fifth top ten finish of the year.
Scheffler, who claimed his tenth career win on the PGA Tour, becomes the first player to win four times in a five-tournament stretch since Tiger Woods in 2007-08.
The Texan also become the first player since Bernhard Langer in 1985 to win the Masters and then triumph at the Heritage, which is held the following week.
“Last week was fantastic and then coming into this week, I didn’t have my usual prep work but showed up rested and ready to go,” Scheffler said in his post-round broadcast interview.
“I got off to a slow start on Thursday but other than that I played some really nice golf in the middle of the tournament and it’s nice to be done,” he said.
Scheffler finished with a three-under 68, 19-under for the tournament.
Before his back-to-back wins this month, Scheffler had won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and The Players Championship in March.
He said his streak of victories showed that he was maturing.
“I think mentally the last month or so has been as good as I’ve been in a long time and I think that is why I’m seeing some of the results,” he said.
“Just staying in it, doing the best I can – and I lot of that stuff is easier said than done,” he added.
Despite Scheffler’s remarkable level of consistency, in particular the minimal amount of errors, he said there is no question of him getting complacent.
“It does not get boring. I think hitting a really well-struck golf shot close to the pin is like an addicting feeling,” he said.
“That’s what keeps everybody coming back. Golf is a game that drives people nuts and then all of a sudden you hit this great shot and it feels wonderful and flies right up there by the pin and it just gives everybody hope.
“Sometimes that’s how I feel out there. I love the feeling of a well-struck golf shot,” he added.
Wyndham Clark, who shot 65 on Sunday after an electric front nine was tied for third with Patrick Cantlay.
Austrian Sepp Straka made birdies on 15 and 16 before a bogey on the 17th and finished tied for fifth place.
There was a disappointing end to Masters runner-up Ludvig Aberg’s round on Monday as the Swede made double bogey on the 18th and slipped down the leaderboard to T10.
Collin Morikawa, who had also battled with Scheffler on the final day at Augusta, finished ninth, bogeying the 18th to finish with a one-over round of 72.
As for Scheffler, he heads out of South Caroline with his wife Meredith expecting their first child in the coming days and his plans for celebrating his two wins in a fortnight were very much ‘on-brand’.
“I’m going to get a breakfast burrito, some coffee, and I’m going to go home.”
© 2024 AFP
