Scottie Scheffler rolls to win at Arnold Palmer Invitational

ORLANDO, Fla. — Scottie Scheffler figured the straightforward resolution to his placing struggles was to stop attempting so arduous. That is what he did on the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and it wasn’t a good struggle.

One of the best on this planet from tee to inexperienced, Scheffler did not miss a putt inside 15 toes on the weekend. On a troublesome Sunday at Bay Hill, he performed bogey-free within the closing group and closed with a 6-under 66, the most effective rating of the ultimate spherical by 2 pictures.

The outcome was a 5-shot victory, the most important at Bay Hill since Tiger Woods in 2012 and the most important by a world No. 1 on the PGA Tour since Dustin Johnson on the Masters in 2020.

“It will be borderline unfair if he begins placing actually good,” U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark mentioned of Scheffler after ending second. “I by no means need to want in poor health on anyone, but when he begins placing constructive every week, it’ll be actually arduous to beat.”

The constructive was in reference to the “strokes gained” statistic, thought to be essentially the most correct measure. Scheffler normally is on the adverse aspect, with no match extra obtrusive than the Memorial final 12 months, as he misplaced 8.5 pictures to the sector in placing and missed a playoff by 1 shot.

“His ballstriking is, actually, on one other degree in comparison with everybody else proper now,” Rory McIlroy mentioned. “We knew if he began to gap putts, then this kind of stuff would occur.”

Scheffler was merely unstoppable.

He holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the opening gap, constructed a 3-shot lead on the flip then poured it on as a Clark, Shane Lowry and Will Zalatoris have been merely attempting to outlive Bay Hill.

Scheffler hit wedge to eight toes for birdie on No. 10. He hit one other wedge to six toes on No. 11. He made key par saves then dropped in a 35-foot birdie on the fifteenth, letting out a yell with a light-weight fist pump.

“A part of the issue is simply attempting too arduous,” Scheffler mentioned. “It is irritating to not have the most effective of myself, simply because I do know that I can putt rather well. It isn’t like I have been a nasty putter my complete profession. I’ve simply gone by means of a stretch the place it has been powerful.

“I believe this week I did a extremely good job of not letting the misses get to me.”

Scheffler completed at 15-under 273 and received $4 million from the $20 million purse of this signature occasion. It was his seventh profession win, all in opposition to among the strongest fields.

And it got here every week earlier than Scheffler defends his title at The Gamers Championship, which had been his final official PGA Tour win.

All that held him again over the previous 12 months was the putter. Scheffler switched to a mallet mannequin this week, however way more essential was preserving quiet between the ears, pondering extra concerning the stroke than the end result.

Each have been very good.

“I simply stayed in my very own little area and tried to maintain pushing,” Scheffler mentioned.

He had spoken earlier within the week about studying to quiet the thoughts. The trick was to dam out the noise — on this case, limitless questions on his placing — and give attention to one thing constructive. Scheffler additionally made positive to not let placing take away from the very fact he was taking part in golf like nobody else from tee to inexperienced.

“He confirmed at the moment why he is world No. 1,” mentioned Lowry, who began the day tied for the lead and by no means had an opportunity. Lowry completed with three birdies and 7 pars over the past 10 holes for a 72 to complete third.

Clark did the most effective at attempting to remain shut, and he was 2 pictures behind by means of eight holes. However it all turned so shortly. Clark drove into the tough and made bogey on the ninth gap then did not make one other birdie till the par-5 sixteenth.

Clark birdied the 18th for a fairly the comfort prize. He earned $2.2 million because the runner-up.

Zalatoris and Russell Henley every had a 72 and tied for fourth. Zalatoris secured a spot within the British Open for having the bottom rating amongst gamers not already exempt.

Scheffler’s lead atop the world rating acquired even bigger over McIlroy, who had an opportunity to overhaul him with a victory at Bay Hill. McIlroy began the ultimate spherical 4 pictures behind and promptly shot 41 on the entrance 9. He shot 76 general and tied for twenty first.

“This can be a tremendous powerful golf course, and to be 6 underneath at the moment going out with the lead and simply kind of lapping the sector is tremendous spectacular,” McIlroy mentioned of Scheffler. “However all of us knew that he had this in him.”

This could at the very least cease questions on Scheffler’s placing. He led the sector in essentially the most important placing statistic on Sunday and ranked fifth for the week. This got here after he indicated earlier within the week how a lot the regular questions have been grating on him.

“If I get requested continually about placing, typically it seems like I am not taking part in effectively. However I am taking part in fairly darn good,” he mentioned on Monday whereas on the TPC Sawgrass.

Bay Hill was the proper reminder.

“It had been some time since I received,” Scheffler mentioned. “There had been a number of chatter about my sport and the state of the place it was at, and so it was good to form of are available in right here with an excellent psychological perspective and to carry out effectively underneath strain.

“And I believe at the moment’s spherical was actually particular for me going ahead.”

Data from The Related Press was used on this report.