Scottie Scheffler spent an additional night time in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, which usually wouldn’t be such a drag if not for his spouse Meredith being pregnant again house in Dallas and awaiting the couple’s first little one later this month.
However Mom Nature had different plans, forcing Scheffler to return to Harbour City Golf Hyperlinks on Monday morning to play his closing three holes of the 2024 RBC Heritage and wrap up his fourth PGA Tour title in his previous 5 begins.
One week and at some point after Scheffler slipped into the famed Inexperienced Jacket awarded to the Masters champ for the second time in three years, the 27-year-old Texan added one other colourful jacket – this time in trademark Tartan – to his closet and have become the primary reigning Masters champion to win the RBC Heritage since Bernhard Langer in 1985.
Scheffler, who was 4-under by 15 holes within the closing spherical and 20-under general when play was suspended resulting from darkness on Sunday, made two pars and a ending bogey and signed for a 3-under 68 on Monday, three photographs higher than Sahith Theegala (68) and 4 higher than reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark (65) and previous FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay (68). Scheffler banked one other $3.6 million to surpass $18 million in earnings this season – and it’s nonetheless April.
“I didn’t present up right here simply to have some type of ceremony and have individuals inform me congratulations,” mentioned Scheffler of avoiding a post-Masters victory hangover. “I got here right here with a function.”
CBS Sports activities roving reporter Colt Knost, who grew up with Scheffler following him round Dallas’s Royal Oaks Golf Membership, already has the most effective nicknames in golf: The Huge Gravy. However he could have earned one other one – Knost-radamus – for a prediction seemingly as correct as these of the 16th century French astrologer Nostradamus. In February 2022, when Scheffler received his first Tour title on the WM Phoenix Open, Knost proclaimed him to be “a worldbeater,” and added, “Now that he’s received that first one, I feel the floodgates are going to open for him.”
Scheffler’s newest triumph is his 10th profession title, the primary participant to win that many occasions (or extra) in three seasons since Dustin Johnson did so between 2015-16 and 2017-18. There’s no indication that this flood of success for the world No. 1 will cease any time quickly. Did Knost think about Scheffler would dominate on the PGA Tour? “I actually did,” he mentioned. “He by no means performs badly and he’s one of the crucial aggressive individuals I’ve ever met. He won’t ever simply undergo the motions.”
Theegala, who recalled taking part in in opposition to Scheffler for the primary time within the Starburst Junior Golf Basic at Waco, Texas, didn’t bear in mind ever beating Scheffler, who’s a 12 months older than him, in a single junior match. Competing with Scheffler, who leads the Tour in 30 statistical classes this season, hasn’t gotten any simpler recently. “It’s fairly epic,” Theegala mentioned of Scheffler, who has shot even par or higher in all 40 rounds this season and have become the primary participant to win 4 occasions in 5 begins since Tiger Woods in 2007-08. “I used to be speaking to Carl, my caddie, strolling to fifteen tee field. I used to be like, I grew up watching the top of Tiger, received to see Rory, DJ, Jordan, like all these guys sort of dominate for a time frame, and I used to be like, we could possibly be within the midst of one thing actually, actually particular.”
Some observers urged that Scheffler would skip the RBC Heritage however Scheffler mentioned he by no means wavered in his dedication to the match. After successful the Masters, Scheffler flew house to Dallas to be with Meredith and didn’t present as much as Hilton Head till Tuesday. He performed solely a nine-hole observe spherical on Wednesday and noticed a lot of the sphere a head begin, shanking a bunker shot at his third gap within the first spherical, making double bogey and needing two late birdies to publish 69. He trailed by six and complained of fatigue. However after recharging his batteries, he didn’t make a single bogey or worse till the 72nd gap of the match, and even in that case Scheffler mentioned he was counting that one as a par as he performed the good photographs with a cushty lead. He stormed again with a 65 on Friday and was lurking three again earlier than reminding everybody who’s boss with a bogey-free 63 to assert a one-stroke lead.
Within the closing spherical, Scheffler laid down the hammer early, chipping in on the par-5 second gap from 53 ft for eagle. His bump-and-run, executed to perfection, marked his 11th hole-out of the season. He tacked on a birdie on the par-5 fifth and strung collectively six consecutive pars earlier than the horn blew. When play resumed he wedged to six ft for one more birdie at 13. When he made his lone blunder, pull-hooking a 4-iron into the water resulting from mud on his ball on the par-5 fifteenth, he took a penalty drop and carved a gorgeous shot to 11 ft. Darkness had fallen and he may’ve wait till Monday to strike the par putt however he opted to play on and sank it for good measure. Whereas that snapped a streak of 53 consecutive holes with out recording a rating of greater than a 4 on his card, relationship to the 15th gap in his first spherical, he pumped his fist with glee for conserving a clear card (to that time).
“I felt like I used to be due for one to drop,” mentioned Scheffler, whose closing bogey gave him a successful complete 19-under 265. “So I figured would possibly as nicely hit it now.”
Clark mounted an early cost, making an eagle and 6 birdies in his first 11 holes to inch inside a stroke of the lead. However his effort to run down Scheffler was spoiled on the 12th gap when Clark tried to punch between timber. His ball struck one among them squarely and ricocheted out of bounds. He made double bogey.
“It was sort of enjoyable for somewhat bit,” mentioned Clark, who improved to a career-best rating of No. 3 on this planet. “Appeared like possibly we had an opportunity to do one thing loopy.”
Solely Mom Nature may delay Scheffler’s victory one other day. Play was suspended resulting from inclement climate at 4:28 p.m. ET, for 2 hours and 32 minutes. The delay meant they ran out of daylight.
However on Monday, Scheffler capped off successful for the fourth time this 12 months, all of them Signature occasions. He completed tied for second in the one match he didn’t win throughout his scorching run. For the week, he topped the sphere of 69 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, SG: Tee to Inexperienced, SG: Strategy the Inexperienced and scrambling.
“We’re watching greatness proper now,” CBS’s Jim Nantz mentioned. “It doesn’t occur on a regular basis, nevertheless it certain is enjoyable when you end up witnessing one thing like this.
Nantz’s NFL broadcast companion, former Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo, who performed within the Invited Movie star Basic on PGA Tour Champions final week, estimated he’s performed round 500 rounds with Scheffler and mentioned he’s by no means failed to interrupt 70.
“Which is insane,” mentioned Romo who performed with him the week earlier than the Masters at Brook Hole, a Dallas membership. “I’ve not seen a man hit a golf ball like this since Tiger again within the 2000s once I performed with him, the best way he was hanging the ball, the compression, the trajectory, the spin fee. It was spectacular, and I used to be like, ‘He ain’t shedding that match.’ ”
Nobody stopped him on the RBC Heritage both. May Scheffler be on his technique to a season for the file books? That will rely whether or not historical past repeats itself — all 10 of his wins have come within the months of February, March and April. So, time will inform if Scheffler can proceed to dominate when the calendar flips to Could – simply don’t wager in opposition to the floodgates closing any time quickly.