It didn’t come simple, and it additionally got here right down to the 72nd gap.
However in the long run, Scottie Scheffler bought the job executed as soon as once more.
He gained the Memorial Event by one stroke over Collin Morikawa, regardless of capturing a 2-over 74 on a tough day at Muirfield Village. Solely 11 gamers completed under-par for the week, as Sunday’s closing spherical had a scoring common of 74.93.
The drama unfolded on the 18th, the place Scheffler airmailed his 8-iron from the green over the inexperienced. Due to the agency situations, gamers struggled to seek out the placing surfaces all day.
Morikawa, trailing by one on the time, did the identical from the green bunker, which turned issues right into a chipping contest with the event on the road. Morikawa went first, as his third shot virtually went in for a exceptional birdie.
“I don’t know what it appeared like on TV, however from my vantage level, it didn’t appear to be it was too near getting in,” Scheffler mentioned of Morikawa’s third shot on 18.
“I used to be simply attempting to remain in my very own little world on the market and deal with attempting to get my ball up and down. I had type of an iffy lie there within the tough. In order [Morikawa’s] chip was rolling as much as the cup, I wasn’t actually paying that shut of consideration to it. I used to be extra simply attempting to gauge the pace because it went down the hill as a result of I used to be coming from a fairly comparable angle.”
Scheffler then left his chip about 5 toes quick and out of doors Morikawa’s mark, which set the stage for an opportunity at victory. The World No. 1 then holed the profitable putt, thus securing his fifth win of the season.
His first victory of the yr got here at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The next week, he gained The Gamers. Then, in April, Scheffler gained at Augusta Nationwide and Hilton Head for the RBC Heritage in back-to-back weeks once more.
And now, Scheffler gained the Memorial the week earlier than the U.S. Open. His win at Muirfield Village marks his first profession PGA Tour win after the month of April.
“Was it the toughest one this yr? I don’t suppose so. It’s onerous to charge the issue of wins,” Scheffler mentioned.
“Perhaps The Gamers? I believe that might possibly be the toughest simply because I used to be coming off a win, and my neck was bugging me fairly unhealthy that week. However so far as satisfaction on the finish of the week, this one’s up there fairly considerably. , being at Mr. [Jack] Nicklaus’s golf course and being at a event the place I’ve had a number of shut calls prior to now, it’s very satisfying to gap that putt on 18 and stroll off with a win and shake Mr. Nicklaus’s hand.
“A few years in the past, I missed a putt that possibly would have been for a playoff, and he informed me, ‘You didn’t make the putt at present, however in the future, ‘you’ll make the putt on 18, and also you’ll be strolling off to shake my hand.’ So it was fairly particular eager about that as I used to be strolling over to shake his hand at present.”
Two years in the past, Scheffler completed in solo third on the Memorial, lacking out on a playoff between Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay.
However this time, Scheffler bought to shake Nicklaus’ hand in victory, which additionally carries historic significance.
Just one man has gained the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Gamers, the Masters, and the Memorial, all in the identical yr, and it occurred in 2001. That, after all, was Tiger Woods, whose 7-shot victory at Muirfield Village that summer time marked his fourth win of the season.
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As for Sunday’s spherical, Scheffler didn’t appear to be the highest participant on the earth at occasions. He couldn’t save par out of the bunker on the par-3 4th, which marked his first bogey of the day. One other bogey on the par-3 eighth adopted as Scheffler couldn’t rise up and down from the thick tough beside the inexperienced. In between that, although, Scheffler did make a birdie on the par-4 sixth.
However that marked his solely par-breaker of the day.
“I do know Scottie didn’t have his A sport on a number of holes at present like a number of fellas didn’t have their A video games on a number of holes at present,” mentioned event host Jack Nicklaus.
“However he put sufficient of his A-game collectively to win the golf event, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Nonetheless, Scheffler made loads of pars, with none greater than a 25-foot par save on the tough par-3 sixteenth, which maintained his two-shot benefit.
He additionally made quite a few pars as a result of he missed a number of good possibilities at birdie, particularly on the twelfth and thirteenth holes. He got here up empty-handed after two wonderful approaches on these two holes.
However, on the par-4 seventeenth, Scheffler left his strategy within the tough in need of the inexperienced. He couldn’t save par on back-to-back holes, thus giving him a one-shot lead going into the 18th and ramping up the drama within the course of.
However in the long run, Scheffler took care of enterprise beneath strain, simply as Woods did for all these years in his prime.
And better of all, he gained for the primary time as a father, along with his spouse Meredith and son Bennett there firsthand to witness all of it.
“Watching her be a mother the final month or so has been actually particular, and I’m so pleased with her,” Scheffler mentioned.
“I positively couldn’t be doing what I do out right here on the golf course with out her assist, and yeah, having Bennett there at present to have fun, though he has completely no clue what’s occurring, nevertheless it’s enjoyable for us as dad and mom, and so we’ll at all times have the ability to look again fondly on this event and Benny’s first week out on the highway with us.”
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. Make sure to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.
