After a bogey on the 10th hole and facing a 14-foot birdie putt on the par-5 11th at Muirfield Village Golf Club, Scheffler delivered what the golfing world has come to expect from its number one player. His nearest challenger, Ben Griffin, lay less than five feet from the hole with a chance to draw level. It was a pressure-packed moment.
Scheffler coolly rolled the putt dead centre, just as the golfing public anticipates.
“Yeah, that was definitely a pivotal moment in the round,” Scheffler said. “Because after the bogey on 10, that putt on 11 was really big to keep that separation from him. That’s when I took control of the golf tournament.”
And so it proved.
Griffin, who on Saturday had boldly pointed out he had bested the Texan the previous week at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, appeared completely stunned on Sunday. He missed his short putt, then bogeyed the 12th and 13th. A two-shot cushion abruptly became four. And from that point, neither Griffin nor anyone else had an answer.
With a solid, if not flawless, final-round 70 (two-under-par), Scheffler successfully defended his Memorial Tournament title on Sunday, winning by a four-stroke margin over Griffin. His four-round total was 10-under-par, marking the ninth consecutive time he has converted a 54-hole lead into victory.
At the 50th edition of the Memorial, Scheffler joined the legendary five-time champion Tiger Woods as only the second player to win Jack Nicklaus’s tournament in consecutive years. He pocketed $4 million for his third victory of the year – all within his last four starts – and his 16th career PGA Tour title. In his last four appearances at Muirfield Village, Scheffler boasts two wins and two third-place finishes, meaning only four players have ever bettered him at this venue.
Another Sunday highlight was Brandt Snedeker, playing on a sponsor’s invitation, who carded a 65 featuring nine birdies and one double bogey – his best score in 26 rounds at the venue. Finishing at one-under-par and tied for seventh, Snedeker narrowly missed out on the sole qualifying spot for The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, available to the leading player not otherwise exempt. However, Rickie Fowler secured that berth by making a crucial par save on the 18th, tying Snedeker’s score but holding a superior world ranking (124th versus Snedeker’s 430th).
References: Golf News
Photo: Internet
