Arnold Palmer Invitational: Scottie Scheffler with Oscar-worthy showing, crushes field

Scottie Scheffler proved why he’s one of the best participant on this planet on the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday.

He gained greater than 4 strokes on the greens, counting on his new mallet putter to separate himself from the sector. Scheffler started the day tied with Shane Lowry at 9-under, however gained by 5 photographs after taking pictures a 6-under 66.

The 2022 Masters champion bought off to a roaring begin, birdieing the primary gap proper out of the gate. In the meantime, Lowry, who performed alongside Scheffler within the last group, made a sloppy bogey, rapidly giving the Texan a two-shot benefit.

Wyndham Clark additionally started his last spherical with a gap birdie, which briefly tied the lead, however he gave that shot again on the powerful par-3 2nd, dropping again to 8-under and two behind Scheffler.

That was all the assistance Scheffler wanted as he paraded round Bay Hill with out dropping a shot. He deserved an Oscar Award for his efficiency Sunday, as he was the one participant throughout Sunday’s last spherical to go bogey-free.

Scheffler’s second birdie of the day got here on the par-5 sixth, which wraps round considered one of Bay Hill’s huge lakes. Tommy Fleetwood made information on this gap earlier within the week, going full ‘Tin Cup’ by making a ten on the outlet.

Alas, Scheffler made it by way of his entrance 9 unscathed, carding a 2-under 34 to leap to 11-under for the championship. Each different participant who started their last rounds within the prime 10 did not shoot under-par on the opening 9.

The typical rating for these gamers was a 2-over 38.

And but, Scheffler marched on.

On the par-4 tenth, Scheffler made his third birdie, sticking his strategy from 90 yards out to eight ft away. He calmly made the putt to maneuver to 12-under.

On the following gap, the difficult par-4 eleventh, Scheffler discovered his seventh fairway of the spherical, which gave him one other inexperienced mild from 109 yards. He caught his second shot to inside 10 ft once more, resulting in his fourth birdie of the ultimate spherical.

By that time, Scheffler sat at 13-under and held a five-shot lead.

However he was not completed.

Three holes later, on the difficult par-4 fifteenth, Scheffler drained a 34-footer for birdie, his fifth of the day. He gained extra strokes together with his putter than some other participant on Sunday, a scary sight for the remainder of the sector.

Contemplating how effectively Scheffler has performed tee-to-green, all he wanted was a midway first rate week with the putter to have an opportunity at victory.

He had that after which some this week, as his new mallet putter carried him to victory. For the week, Scheffler gained greater than 16 photographs complete, rating first. However he additionally ranked fifth in strokes gained placing, choosing up 4.347 photographs together with his flat stick.

For the season, Scheffler ranks 144th in strokes gained on the greens. It has been the one weak hyperlink in his recreation.

“It will be borderline unfair if he begins placing rather well,” Clark mentioned of Scheffler.

“I by no means need to want in poor health on anyone, but when he begins placing optimistic every week he’s going to be actually laborious to beat. However that’s good. It’s simply going to push me to get higher in my ball placing and each a part of the sport. He’s sort of the barometer proper now, and I’ve bought a number of room to catch up and get higher.”

A lot to the dissatisfaction of others, Scheffler’s placing woes didn’t present up at Bay Hill. As a substitute, he dominated Arnie’s Place.

He picked up yet one more birdie on the par-5 sixteenth and completed with two pars to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational for a second time.

“To be 6-under immediately going out with the lead and simply type of lapping the sector is tremendous spectacular, however all of us knew that he had this in him,” Rory McIlroy mentioned of Scheffler’s last spherical.

“His ball placing is actually on one other stage in comparison with everybody else proper now. We knew if he began to gap putts, then this type of stuff would occur.”

His victory this week marks his first win for the reason that 2023 PLAYERS Championship almost one 12 months in the past.

Ought to his putter proceed to cooperate subsequent week at TPC Sawgrass, Scheffler might simply go back-to-back. He has discovered one thing together with his putter, and that ought to terrify the remainder of the game.

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. Remember to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.