NOW HE’S SCOTT THE LOT

WORLD No.1 Scottie Scheffler is the red-hot favourite to retain his title at The Players

Championship this week after finding deadly form with the putter.

Unstoppable Scheffler won at Bay Hill in Florida by five shots – the largest winning margin since Tiger Woods in 2012 – after a bogey-free closing 66.

The 2022 Masters champion had played consistently all season but struggled on the greens. He entered the API ranked first in strokes gained tee to green, first in strokes gained approach to the green, first in par-4 scoring – and 144th in strokes gained putting.

But Scheffler (top) made all 23 putts from inside 15 feet over the weekend for his first official win since The Players last year.

World No.2 Rory Mcilroy (above) said: “We all knew that he had this in him. His ball striking is, honestly, on another level compared to everyone else right now. We knew if he started to hole putts, then this sort of stuff would happen.”

Runner-up and US Open champion Wyndham Clark added: “It would be borderline unfair if he starts putting really good. I never want to wish ill on anybody but, if he starts putting positive each week, it’s going to be really hard to beat.”

The American said a new, relaxed attitude was the key to his seventh PGA Tour win. “It was keeping the mind as quiet as possible,” Scheffler said.

Mciroy finished 14 shots back in tied-21st after hitting only 40 out of 72 greens just a month before the Masters. “I’m going to Sawgrass next week super comfortable with how I’m hitting it,” he said.