It didn’t come straightforward, and it additionally got here right down to the 72nd gap.
But ultimately, Scottie Scheffler acquired the job completed as soon as once more.
He gained the Memorial Tournament by a stroke over Collin Morikawa regardless of capturing a 2-over 74 on a troublesome day at Muirfield Village. Only 11 gamers completed under-par for the week, as Sunday’s remaining spherical had a scoring common of 74.93.
From the green on 18, Scheffler airmailed his 8-iron over the inexperienced, a placing floor exhausting to search out due to the agency circumstances. Morikawa did the identical from the green bunker, turning issues right into a chipping contest on the ultimate gap.
Morikawa went first, as his third shot virtually went in for a exceptional birdie. Scheffler then left his chip about 5 ft brief and outdoors Morikawa’s mark. That set the stage for the World No. 1 to hole the winning putt, and he did simply that.
Scheffler’s triumph at Jack’s Place marks his fifth win of the 2024 season. His first victory got here at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The following week, he gained The Players. Then, in April, Scheffler gained at Augusta National and at Hilton Head for the RBC Heritage.
And now, Scheffler gained the Memorial, which marks his first profession win after the month of April.
But his win at Muirfield Village additionally carries historic significance. Only one man has gained the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Masters, and the Memorial, all in the identical 12 months, which occurred in 2001. That, in fact, was Tiger Woods, whose 7-shot victory at Muirfield Village that summer season marked his fourth win of the season. Like Scheffler, Woods additionally gained The Players that 12 months, too.
As for Sunday’s spherical, Scheffler didn’t seem like 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. Another 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.
But that marked his solely par-breaker of the day.
Scheffler made loads of pars, with none greater than a 25-foot par save on the troublesome par-3 sixteenth, sustaining his two-shot benefit. He additionally made quite a few pars as a result of he missed a number of attractiveness at birdie—particularly on the twelfth and thirteenth holes.
Then, on the par-4 seventeenth, Scheffler left his strategy within the tough in need of the inexperienced. He couldn’t save par, thus giving him a one-shot lead going into the 18th and ramping up the drama within the course of.
But ultimately, 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.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be positive to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.
