Scheffler wins back-to-back Players titles

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World No 1 Scottie Scheffler turned the primary man to win back-to-back Gamers Championships with an outstanding eight under-par 64 on Sunday, giving him a one-stroke victory at TPC Sawgrass.

Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman and Xander Schauffele all completed a shot behind Scheffler, with Clark going agonisingly near forcing a playoff with Scheffler.

All three of the challengers within the all-American battle wanted birdies on the 18th and Clark was distraught after his 17-foot birdie putt lipped out.

That left Scheffler, ready on the vary at 20 beneath, to have a good time his historic achievement of consecutive wins on the Ponte Vedra Seashore course as he adopted up his victory at Bay Hill final week with one other show of his consistency.

Scheffler entered the ultimate spherical trailing in a single day chief Schauffele by 5 photographs however received his cost beneath method with an eagle on the par-four 4th, the place he holed out from 92 yards, earlier than making three extra birdies earlier than the flip.

It was basic Scheffler on the again 9 as he stored out of hassle and added three extra birdies for his bogey-free 64.

Then it was over to the trio chasing him to make up the hole and whereas Clark made birdies on 16 and 17, he fell simply quick on the final.

“We had an excellent end yesterday after which received off to a sluggish begin right now however then the opening out on 4 form of propelled us slightly bit,” stated Scheffler.

“I hit a variety of good photographs, did quite a bit good issues this week and it’s good to come back out on high.

“It’s powerful sufficient to win one Gamers and so to have it back-to-back is extraordinarily particular.”

The chasing trio paid the value for essential bogeys.

Schauffele made bogeys on 14 and 15 and reigning US Open winner Clark’s bid seemed to have pale after bogeys on 10 and 14.

Clark, who received this season at Pebble Seashore, had his worst placing spherical of the week however discovered his contact with birdies on 16 and 17 earlier than the 18th led to frustration.

“I don’t understand how that putt doesn’t go in,” he stated. “It was form of proper centre with like a foot to go, and I knew it was going to maintain breaking, but it surely had pace and I believed it was going to good inside left, and even when it form of lipped, I believed it could lip in.

“I’m fairly gutted it didn’t go in.

“You end second, you get a bunch of factors and cash and all that stuff, but it surely simply sucks. I’ve at all times needed and dreamed about making a putt that actually mattered to both pressure a playoff or win a match, and I’ve but to do it in my skilled profession, so I used to be fairly bummed that I didn’t have a kind of actually superior moments.

“I’m nonetheless slightly beside myself. I’m nonetheless shocked that putt didn’t go in.”

Unreal. pic.twitter.com/HU5GEd7o6g

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 17, 2024

Harman was in a position to be extra philosophical about his loss after recovering from a bogey on the sixth to make 4 birdies within the subsequent 5 holes, his 68 not fairly sufficient to catch Scheffler.

“He’s the most effective participant on the planet, and this can be a championship golf course, and so – so far as when you have a look at it on paper, the most effective participant this week received,” Harman stated.

“That’s form of what you need in a golf match. All of us had our possibilities, and he simply carried out – he out-executed two or three extra instances than the remainder of us.”

Schauffele, who noticed his in a single day lead vanish, had possibilities down the stretch and he was left to rue a missed seven-foot birdie putt on the seventeenth as he shot 70.

“If I made that, it might have been a distinct story. I hung powerful however no shock to see Scottie’s identify up there,” he stated.

England’s Matt Fitzpatrick was fifth, 4 photographs off the lead, after ending his spherical of 69 with 4 straight birdies.

South Korea’s Kim Si-woo, the youngest Gamers winner from 2017, shared sixth, 5 strokes adrift alongside Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters winner.

South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout shared thirteenth place after carding 70 to complete on 11 beneath.