NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler has made nice beneficial properties in his placing. Add that to the remainder of his top-ranked recreation, and he made it look simple 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 pictures on the again 9 as he ended the yr along with his fifth victory worldwide.
The Hero World Problem is an unofficial occasion, although its 20-man subject 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 taking part in 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 less than the third time previously 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.
“Identical to I mentioned to you guys on Tuesday, I am curious … what that is going to seem like,” Woods mentioned. “I have never executed it shortly — I have never executed it with my ankle the way in which it’s now, and I used to be excited every day to sort of get by way of it and sort of begin piecing rounds collectively once more. I have never executed 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 relationship to September.
Scheffler led the PGA Tour in nearly each vital statistical class — off the tee, pictures to the inexperienced — till he obtained onto the placing floor. He sought assist from extremely regarded placing coach Phil Kenyon and is beginning to see instant outcomes.
“I performed strong and stored my distance,” Scheffler mentioned. “I used to be simply attempting to hit good pictures and get as many seems to be as I may for birdies.”
Scheffler had not performed for the reason that Ryder Cup — this was his first 72-hole match for the reason that 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 ft.
Straka, Thomas and Jordan Spieth at instances have 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 ft. It was his solely miss inside 5 ft 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 degree on the follow inexperienced and put some notations within the ebook. In accordance with 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 annoyed 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 unsuitable someday in a unique match [it] doesn’t keep on, and I perceive that. We made the error,” Morikawa mentioned. “From our understanding, it was high quality to make use of a degree on the follow inexperienced and see how putts break and write that down. Clearly, it is not.”
Morikawa (68) completed seventh.
Woods was by no means within the combine after every spherical, which was not the first goal. He knew there can be rust, and he felt he knocked a bit off every day. However not all of it. He had a pitch roll again towards his ft 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 may play one match a month in 2024.
“If you happen to ask me proper now, I am a bit bit sore,” he mentioned. “As soon as a month appears affordable. It provides me a few weeks to recuperate. Possibly I can get right into a rhythm. That is what the plan was going into subsequent yr. I do not see why that will change.”
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