NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler has made nice good points in his placing. Add that to the remainder of his top-ranked sport, and he made it look straightforward Sunday. He closed with a 4-under 68 for a 3-shot victory within the Hero World Problem.
Scheffler, a runner-up within the Bahamas the earlier two years, performed bogey-free at Albany and did not let anybody get nearer than 2 photographs on the again 9 as he ended the 12 months along with his fifth victory worldwide.
The Hero World Problem is an unofficial occasion, although its 20-man area receives world rating factors, and Scheffler solely solidified his spot at No. 1.
The week wasn’t a complete loss for Tiger Woods, the match host enjoying for the primary time since surgical procedure to fuse his proper ankle a couple of weeks after the Masters in April.
Woods completed 72 holes for under the third time prior to now two years. He has performed six tournaments following the restoration from his February 2021 automobile crash in Los Angeles that badly injured his proper leg.
“Similar to I mentioned to you guys on Tuesday, I am curious … what that is going to appear to be,” Woods mentioned. “I have never carried out it shortly — I have never carried out it with my ankle the way in which it’s now, and I used to be excited each day to sort of get by way of it and sort of begin piecing rounds collectively once more. I have never carried out this in a very long time so it was enjoyable to really feel that once more.”
Woods closed with a 72 and completed 18th.
Sepp Straka had three late birdies for a 64 to complete second. Justin Thomas had a 67 to complete alone in third. It was his third straight end within the prime 5 courting to September.
Scheffler led the PGA Tour in nearly each necessary statistical class — off the tee, photographs to the inexperienced — till he received onto the placing floor. He sought assist from extremely regarded placing coach Phil Kenyon and is beginning to see quick outcomes.
“I performed strong and saved my distance,” Scheffler mentioned. “I used to be simply attempting to hit good photographs and get as many appears as I might for birdies.”
Scheffler had not performed because the Ryder Cup — this was his first 72-hole match because the Tour Championship in late August. He mentioned he was optimistic in regards to the work he put in with Kenyon earlier than the Ryder Cup.
“It is good to see some quick outcomes,” Scheffler mentioned. “It is paid off fairly good this week.”
Scheffler did not make his first birdie till he chipped shut on the par-5 sixth after which pitched up the slope on the drivable par-4 seventh to 2 toes.
Straka, Thomas and Jordan Spieth at occasions had been poised to make a run. Scheffler answered with birdies on the proper time to carry them off. He missed a birdie putt on the seventeenth from simply inside 3 toes. It was his solely miss inside 5 toes all week.
Hardly ever is that this vacation occasion with out some measure of drama, and such was the case on Sunday. Collin Morikawa was given a 2-shot penalty earlier than he teed off for utilizing materials in a greens-reading ebook on the fourth gap Saturday.
Seems his caddie had used a stage on the observe inexperienced and put some notations within the ebook. In response to new guidelines, such notes can come solely from conventional strategies, with out outdoors gadgets.
Morikawa, who was knowledgeable quarter-hour earlier than his spherical, was pissed off as a result of he mentioned he had been informed by different officers and caddies that it was OK.
“Apparently in the event that they inform you one thing fallacious in the future in a unique match [it] doesn’t stick with it, and I perceive that. We made the error,” Morikawa mentioned. “From our understanding, it was high-quality to make use of a stage on the observe inexperienced and see how putts break and write that down. Clearly, it isn’t.”
Morikawa (68) completed seventh.
Woods was by no means within the combine after every spherical, which was not the first goal. He knew there could be rust, and he felt he knocked a bit of off every day. However not all of it. He had a pitch roll again towards his toes on the par-3 second gap for a double bogey, and he hit one other poor chip that led to bogey on the par-5 eleventh.
Woods remained optimistic he might play one match a month in 2024.
“For those who ask me proper now, I am a bit of bit sore,” he mentioned. “As soon as a month appears cheap. It provides me a few weeks to get better. Perhaps I can get right into a rhythm. That is what the plan was going into subsequent 12 months. I do not see why that may change.”
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