Scottie Scheffler collects fifth PGA Tour win of 2024 at the Memorial

DUBLIN (Ohio) – It does not have to be easy for it to be rewarding for Scottie Scheffler.

He won another tournament and solidified his world No. 1 ranking by shooting two-over 74 on June 9 to win the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio.

“The golf course was playing so tough today, so firm, so fast,” Scheffler said. “It was a fun test of golf. It was good to battle it out. I didn’t really do a whole lot great today, but I did enough.”

Scheffler held on to the lead despite challenges in tough final-round conditions at Muirfield Village. His eight-under 280 tournament total was good for a one-shot advantage over Collin Morikawa, who posted 71.

It is Scheffler’s fifth PGA Tour win in 2024, all since the beginning of March. The tournaments he has won are a sampling of the most prestigious on the PGA Tour: The Masters, Players Championship and three signature events.

This one came in a tournament with legendary Jack Nicklaus as the host.

“I remember shaking Mr Nicklaus’ hand a few years ago,” Scheffler said. “It’s a pretty surreal moment to be able to shake his hand as a winner here.”

The 27-year-old American will be one of the favourites at the US Open this week at Pinehurst in North Carolina.

Canada’s Adam Hadwin shot a 74 and ended up in third place at four under, followed by South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout (72) at three under.

Scheffler did not have to do anything spectacular in the final round, which began with him owning a four-stroke lead. After a bogey on No. 8, he scored pars on the next eight holes before a bogey on No. 17.

Scheffler and Morikawa, playing in the final pairing, went to the final hole with only one shot separating them. Both hit their second shots over the green, and Morikawa’s attempt to chip in for birdie from 45 feet away barely skated past, allowing Scheffler to make par to win.

“It’s pretty amazing. I feel like I’ve had some close calls in this tournament,” Scheffler said. “This is a tough place to close out.”

Earlier, Scheffler had a chance to stretch a one-shot lead on the 15th, but his putt for birdie clipped the cup and the ball stayed out.

Morikawa was within one stroke until his third bogey of the round came on No. 16, where he was off the green after his first swing on the par-three hole.

On the 17th, Scheffler was greenside after two shots on the par-four hole, but he left his entry to the green considerably short of the hole and did not convert the par putt.

It certainly has been an eventful stretch of several weeks for Scheffler, who was involved in the altercation with Louisville police upon trying to arrive for his second-round tee time at the PGA Championship.

Now, he is a tournament champion for the first time since becoming a father, shortly after winning the Masters and RBC Heritage on back-to-back weeks in April.

Morikawa was pleased to be contending during the tournament’s final day.

“A lot of it has been talking through it, going through the process, thinking through things,” Morikawa said. “Obviously it’s been very, very helpful over these past couple months.”

Hadwin closed to within one of Scheffler on the front side by birdying three of his first seven holes, including a chip-in at No. 1. He carded five bogeys the rest of the way.

The only sub-70 rounds on June 9 were turned in by England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, both with three-under 69s. Fitzpatrick, with birdies on three of the last five holes, tied for fifth at two under with Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (74) and Austria’s Sepp Straka (76). Grillo was at five over and tied for 27th.

Defending champion Viktor Hovland of Norway had slightly recovered from his 77 on June 8, posting a 75 to finish at two over and tied for 15th.

REUTERS