Superlative Scheffler and Korda
World number ones so brillaintly light up the world of golf
FOLLOWING the US Masters, the world of sport was treated to another sampling of inspirational golf, borne of the superlative skills and character of the best players in the men’s and women’s divisions, Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda.
The world number ones delighted everyone with an allegiance to golf, and almost in equal measure, those outside of the realms of the game.
Scheffler clinched a fourth PGA Tour title in five starts with his three-stroke triumph in the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, US.
For Korda, her victory at the first major of the season, the Chevron Championship, saw her equal the ladies’ tour record of five consecutive LPGA wins.
Scheffler won by three shots from Sahith Theegala, while Wyndham Clark and Patrick Cantlay tied for third. But it was not until Monday that he secured the victory that gave him his 10th PGA Tour title.
It was a polished performance that might have been interrupted by bad weather but could not be overshadowed by his 19-under-par total, which made him the first player to win the week after the US Masters since Germany’s Bernhard Langer accomplished it in 1985.
The 27-year-old also became the first American to win on the PGA Tour the week following a major since Tiger Woods did it in 2006.
Prior to his RBC Heritage win, Sheffler won the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in March and then followed that up with a victory at the Players Championship, where he successfully defended his title, and then with a secondplace finish at the Texas Children’s Houston Open T2, before securing his second major at the Masters.
In build-up to the RC Heritage, Max Homa said of Scheffler, whom he duelled with at the Masters: “We’ve seen people do this over the years as far as excellence for time, over a little bit of time.
“His seems to be sustained a bit longer than I can remember from a lot of people. It’s not utterly shocking what he does. He just does it over and over and over again. That’s amazing. He almost makes it seem very realistic that we should do that.”
Korda’s Chevron title also earned her a second major championship crown.
In similarly brilliant form, the now 13-time LPGA Tour winner equalled the record for the most successive wins on the circuit – five – matching the great Nancy Lopez, who managed it in 1978, and Swede Annika Sorenstam, who did in the over-lapping seasons of 2004 and 2005.
Korda’s 13-under total at the Woodlands Golf Club in Texas was two shots better than Sweden’s Maja Stark and three in front of American Lauren Coughlin and Canadian Brooke Henderson.
Speaking after her win, Korda said: “It’s just been a crazy, crazy, crazy couple of weeks, with some really solid golf.
“I can finally breathe. I was really nervous on that back nine. I really, really wanted this win. It feels amazing to get it.
“My first-ever major, competing in a major, was at the US Women’s Open at Sebonack, and that was when I dreamt of winning major championships. To have two under my belt now is a dream come true.”
Prior to her success at the Chevron last weekend, Korda won the LPGA Drive-on Championship, the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, with which she climbed back to the top of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking, the Ford Championship and T-mobile Match Play.
Given her exploits, Korda withdrew from this week’s JM Eagle La Championship presented by Plastpro in Los Angeles, California.
Even then, Scheffler and Korda’s exploits were not the only performances celebrated with much gusto this past week.
Fifteen-year-old Miles Russell shot a final round five-under 66 at the Lecom Suncoast Classic at Lakewood Ranch in Florida on the Korn Ferry Tour to earn a slot on this week’s event, the Veritex Bank Championship played at Rangers Park in Arlington, Texas.
He finished on 14-under-par for a tie for 20th place. That marked him as the youngest player to finish in the top 20 on the Korn Ferry Tour, dating back to when the records started in 1983.
Tim Widing beat Steven Fisk and Patrick Cover in a playoff to win the PGA Tour’s feeder circuit event after the trio finished on 21-under-par 264.