Scottie Scheffler: The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Scottie Scheffler put in an impressive final-round performance to capture The Players Championship by five shots. After shooting a 3-under par 69 in the fourth round for an aggregate total of 17 under 271 on Sunday afternoon, Scheffler earned USD4.5 million and 600 FedEx Cup points – moving him up to World No1 for the second time this year. It was his sixth title on 27 Professional Golfers Association Tour starts including The Masters; Scottie Scheffler dropped five straight birdies to build a six-shot lead that ultimately proved decisive as he ran over opponents to claim victory by five shots. Golf betting sites were left stunned by how quickly this 26 year old finished ahead of everyone else by five strokes.
Hatton Secures Second win; Lee Loses Steam
Tyrrell Hatton finished second at 12 under par 276 after shooting a 7 under 65. He finished the round with five consecutive birdies and outshot Viktor Hovland (68) and Tom Hoge (70) by two shots, earning him USD 2.725 million – just over USD 1 million more than his victory in 2020. Hideki Matsuyama shot an even 4 under 68 for an even total of 9-under 279. Min Woo Lee held onto his lead through four rounds but faltered down the stretch; ending up tied for sixth with Max Homa (69), Justin Suh (70), Justin Rose (71), David Lingmerth (72), Sungjae Im (72) and Cam Davis (74).
Seizing the Chance
Scottie Scheffler took advantage of a rare chance to regain his world number one ranking when Jon Rahm withdrew after the first round. Rory McIlroy, another contender for top seed, missed the cut with rounds of 76 and 73 respectively. Scottie Scheffler started strong from the start, opening with 68 before following it up with another 69. In round three he shot 65 to move up the leaderboard further; and in round four with another 69 he took command once more. With six wins in 13 months against some of golf’s strongest fields ever assembled, Scottie Scheffler is on track for another remarkable accomplishment.
Early favorite for The Masters: Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler’s victory cemented him as the favorite to win The Masters for a second consecutive year. Last year, he thoroughly dominated the field to claim his first “Green Jacket.” According to experts covering 2022-23 US PGA best picks, the American is once again the overwhelming favorite to win the opening major of the year, as his consistent play and expected dominance are expected to lead him away from the field and secure a rare back to back Masters title.
