Players Championship: Scottie Scheffler wins title at Sawgrass

Scottie Scheffler overcame a neck harm and report five-shot deficit within the remaining spherical to change into the primary man to defend the Players Championship.

The world primary, who had remedy on his neck throughout spherical two, hit an eight-under 64 to win the 50th staging of the PGA Tour’s flagship match.

He received by one shot on 20 underneath from fellow Americans Brian Harman, Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark.

All three missed putts to power a play-off in an outstanding end at Sawgrass.

Harman was first to the 18th however he pushed a 17-foot birdie putt large as he closed with a 68.

Schauffele, who led in a single day and for a lot of the ultimate spherical, failed together with his 60-footer, whereas US Open champion Clark’s 17-footer horseshoed across the gap and left him signing for a 69.

Asked what it was wish to change into the primary participant to win successive Players titles, Scheffler stated: “It’s fairly particular.

“It’s one thing you do not get the chance to do fairly often. It’s powerful sufficient to win one.”

He is the youngest participant, at the age of 27, to win two titles – solely Jack Nicklaus has received the occasion thrice.

His victory is all of the extra exceptional contemplating the ache he was in throughout Friday’s second spherical when he tweaked his neck whereas taking part in a shot. He referred to as for a physio who labored on the harm between holes and he was nonetheless in apparent discomfort throughout Saturday’s third spherical.

“I did not need to surrender within the match,” said Scheffler, who collected $4.5m (£3.5m) from the $25m prize fund. “I did what I might to hold round till my neck obtained higher and [on Sunday] it felt actually good.”

And as a lot as Harman, Schauffele and Clark squandered their alternatives, Scheffler earned his historic victory with a shocking remaining spherical as he matched the report comeback wins of Justin Leonard in 1998 and Henrik Stenson in 2009.

He had eradicated Schauffele’s lead by the ninth gap. A chip-in eagle two on the par-four fourth sparked the comeback and Scheffler adopted that with three birdies in 5 holes to affix Schauffele on 17 underneath.

But moments later Schauffele knocked in a birdie on seven to maneuver one forward.

That set the scene for a nerve-shredding again 9, with Scheffler, Schauffele and Clark taking or sharing the lead at varied factors.

While Scheffler posted birdies on the 11th, 12th and 16th holes, Schauffele and Clark have been dropping pictures.

Clark, who led by 4 strokes at the midway stage of the match following two rounds of 67, bogeyed the 10th and 14th to drop to 17 underneath, whereas Schauffele bogeyed the 14th and 15th as he slipped to 18 underneath.

Meanwhile, Open champion Harman was quietly creeping up the leaderboard, with 4 birdies in 5 holes across the flip taking him to 18 underneath.

He rolled in one other on the 15th however was unable to select up one other shot on the famously powerful closing three holes.

Schauffele and Clark birdied the par-five 16th to maneuver to 19 and 18 underneath respectively and performed sensational tee pictures to inside eight ft on the notoriously tough par-three 17th ‘island gap’.

Schauffele missed his birdie putt. Clark holed. Both wanted to birdie the final to match Scheffler. Both failed.

“When I went to mattress final night time, it isn’t precisely how I envisioned strolling off the 18th inexperienced,” stated Schauffele, who signed for a two-under 70.

“This sucks however I’ll lick my wounds and proper again to it subsequent week.”

England are nonetheless ready for his or her first winner of the Players after Matt Fitzpatrick’s cost for the title stalled at the fourth gap, for the third successive spherical.

The 2022 US Open winner, who carded double-bogey sixes in rounds two and three, had joked after the third spherical about his method on Sunday: “If I can play higher on the fourth gap, that may most likely be an excellent begin.”

However, it as soon as once more proved his undoing.

He was two off the lead after opening with successive birdies, however a dropped shot at the fourth halted his momentum and additional bogeys on the sixth and ninth meant he dropped out of competition.

But he closed with 4 successive birdies to complete on a excessive and in fifth on 16 underneath.

For Rory McIlroy, winner of this title in 2019, it was one other rollercoaster week. He holed 26 birdies however completed 11 pictures off the lead.

However, after his closing spherical of 72, which featured 5 birdies and 5 bogeys, he stated he’s “headed in the correct route”.

“After the primary spherical, my expectations type of went sky excessive as a result of I used to be like, ‘oh, I feel I’ve figured it out’,” stated the Northern Irishman, who was joint chief on seven underneath on Thursday.

“Then the final three days have been just a little bit extra of a wrestle. I made sufficient birdies – it is only a matter of eliminating the dangerous stuff.”