Scottie Scheffler wins Memorial, joins Tiger Woods in historical past

It didn’t come simple, and it additionally got here all the way down to the 72nd gap.

However ultimately, Scottie Scheffler received the job finished as soon as once more.

He received the Memorial Match by one stroke over Collin Morikawa, regardless of capturing a 2-over 74 on a troublesome day at Muirfield Village. Solely 11 gamers completed under-par for the week, as Sunday’s last spherical had a scoring common of 74.93.

The drama unfolded on the 18th, the place Scheffler airmailed his 8-iron from the golf green over the inexperienced. Due to the agency situations, gamers struggled to seek out the placing surfaces all day.

Morikawa, trailing by one on the time, did the identical from the golf green bunker, which turned issues right into a chipping contest with the match on the road. Morikawa went first, as his third shot nearly went in for a exceptional birdie.

“I don’t know what it regarded like on TV, however from my vantage level, it didn’t appear like it was too near getting in,” Scheffler mentioned of Morikawa’s third shot on 18.

Picture by Dylan Buell/Getty Photos

“I used to be simply making an attempt to remain in my very own little world on the market and deal with making an attempt to get my ball up and down. I had form of an iffy lie there within the tough. In order [Morikawa’s] chip was rolling as much as the cup, I wasn’t actually paying that shut of consideration to it. I used to be extra simply making an attempt to gauge the velocity because it went down the hill as a result of I used to be coming from a fairly related angle.”

Morikawa was additionally requested about this shot.

“To be sincere, I believed it was breaking proper,” Morikawa mentioned.

“Utterly whiffed that one and it broke left. However that’s such a troublesome chip shot. All you needed to do was simply nestle it on the inexperienced. I hit it precisely how I needed it and you’ll’t complain once you’re hitting pictures like that down the stretch and also you’re doing issues like that.”

After getting a great learn off Morikawa’s shot, Scheffler left his chip about 5 toes quick. It stopped exterior Morikawa’s mark, which set the stage for an opportunity at victory. The World No. 1 then holed the successful putt, thus securing his fifth win of the season.

His first victory of the yr got here at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The next week, he received The Gamers. Then, in April, Scheffler received at Augusta Nationwide and Hilton Head for the RBC Heritage in back-to-back weeks once more.

And now, Scheffler received the Memorial the week earlier than the U.S. Open. His win at Muirfield Village marks his first profession PGA Tour win after the month of April.

“Was it the toughest one this yr? I don’t suppose so. It’s exhausting to charge the issue of wins,” Scheffler mentioned.

“Perhaps The Gamers? I feel that might perhaps be the toughest simply because I used to be coming off a win, and my neck was bugging me fairly unhealthy that week. However so far as satisfaction on the finish of the week, this one’s up there fairly considerably. You understand, being at Mr. [Jack] Nicklaus’s golf course and being at a match the place I’ve had a number of shut calls prior to now, it’s very satisfying to gap that putt on 18 and stroll off with a win and shake Mr. Nicklaus’s hand.

“A few years in the past, I missed a putt that perhaps would have been for a playoff, and he instructed me, ‘You didn’t make the putt at the moment, however sooner or later, ‘you’ll make the putt on 18, and also you’ll be strolling off to shake my hand.’ So it was fairly particular enthusiastic about that as I used to be strolling over to shake his hand at the moment.”

Two years in the past, Scheffler completed in solo third on the Memorial, lacking out on a playoff between Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay.

However this time, Scheffler received to shake Nicklaus’ hand in victory, which additionally carries historic significance.

Just one man has received the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Gamers, the Masters, and the Memorial, all in the identical yr, and it occurred in 2001. That, after all, was Tiger Woods, whose 7-shot victory at Muirfield Village that summer time marked his fourth win of the season.

Picture by Michael Reaves/Getty Photos

As for Sunday’s spherical, Scheffler didn’t appear like the highest participant on the planet at occasions. He couldn’t save par out of the bunker on the par-3 4th, which marked his first bogey of the day. One other bogey on the par-3 eighth adopted as Scheffler couldn’t stand up and down from the thick tough beside the inexperienced. In between that, although, Scheffler did make a birdie on the par-4 sixth.

However that marked his solely par-breaker of the day.

“I do know Scottie didn’t have his A recreation on a number of holes at the moment like a number of fellas didn’t have their A video games on a number of holes at the moment,” mentioned match host Jack Nicklaus.

“However he put sufficient of his A-game collectively to win the golf match, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Nonetheless, Scheffler made loads of pars, with none larger than a 25-foot par save on the troublesome par-3 sixteenth, which maintained his two-shot benefit.

He additionally made quite a few pars as a result of he missed a number of good probabilities at birdie, particularly on the twelfth and thirteenth holes. He got here up empty-handed after two wonderful approaches on these two holes.

Nonetheless, on the par-4 seventeenth, Scheffler left his method within the tough wanting the inexperienced. He couldn’t save par on back-to-back holes, thus giving him a one-shot lead going into the 18th and ramping up the drama within the course of.

However ultimately, Scheffler took care of enterprise beneath strain, simply as Woods did for all these years in his prime.

And better of all, he received for the primary time as a father, together with his spouse Meredith and son Bennett there firsthand to witness all of it.

“Watching her be a mother the final month or so has been actually particular, and I’m so pleased with her,” Scheffler mentioned.

“I positively couldn’t be doing what I do out right here on the golf course with out her help, and yeah, having Bennett there at the moment to rejoice, despite the fact that he has completely no clue what’s occurring, nevertheless it’s enjoyable for us as dad and mom, and so we’ll all the time be capable of look again fondly on this match and Benny’s first week out on the street with us.”

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. You’ll want to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.