Scheffler has five straight birdies to win TPC by five
Scottie Scheffler took on the scary TPC Sawgrass as if he was playing alone. And by the time he got done with a masterful performance Sunday in The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., that's about how it looked.
Scheffler ran off five straight birdies in the middle of his round, built a sixshot lead and left all the drama to everyone else on his way to a 3-under 69 to win the richest prize on the PGA Tour by five shots.
The victory was worth $4.5 million and sent Scheffler back to No. 1 in the world for the second time this year. He now has six victories in his last 27 starts on the PGA Tour, including the four wins he had last year culminated by his Masters title.
When he poured in a 20foot par putt on the final hole, Scheffler had the largest margin of victory in The Players since Stephen Ames won by six in 2006.
“I got hot in the middle of the round and tried to put things away as quickly as I can,” Scheffler said. “Gosh, it's fun.”
And then the celebration was on with his wife, parents, sister and 87-year-old grandmother, who kept pace with him for so much of the day.
That's something the strongest field of the year couldn't do.
Tyrrell Hatton birdied his last five holes for a 65, finishing when Scheffler was making the turn. Viktor Hovland (68) and Tom Hoge (70) were seven shots behind in a tie for third, each making nearly $1.5 million from the $25 million purse.
Scheffler, who finished at 17-under 271, became only the third player to win at the TPC Sawgrass with all four rounds in the 60s.
Min Woo Lee of Australia, making his Players Championship debut, briefly was tied for the lead but finished with a 76.
Lee made one too many blunders, not that it would have changed anything the way Scheffler lit up the TPC Sawgrass. One of them came on the par-4 fourth, when Lee was tied for the lead. He chipped out of the rough only to have his third shot spin back into the water, leading to a triple bogey.
By the time he recovered, Scheffler was racing away.
DP World Tour
Jorge Campillo held onto his overnight lead to win the DP World Tour's Kenya Open by two shots on Sunday with a 5-under 66. The Spaniard put together six birdies and dropped just one shot in the final round at Muthaiga Golf Club to go 18 under overall and stay ahead of Japan's Masahiro Kawamura.
Campillo claimed his third tour title and first since the 2020 Qatar Masters.
“I will try and enjoy my moment now and get ready for the next tournament,” Campillo said. “Because you know how golf is. You win now and then the next day you are not that good anymore.”
Kawamura also closed with a 66 to finish second on 16 under. Santiago Tarrio (66) tied for third with Ryo Hisatsune (65), three shots behind Campillo.
Campillo started the final round one shot ahead and had a smooth day, with five birdies in his first 10 holes keeping him clear of the chasers. He did make a bogey on No. 11, but it was his only slip-up and no one took advantage.