Scheffler holds off Griffin to defend PGA Memorial title
WASHINGTON: World number one Scottie Scheffler captured his 16th career PGA Tour victory on Sunday, joining Tiger Woods as the only players to defend titles at the Memorial tournament.
The 28-year-old American took his third triumph in a month, firing a two-under par 70 to finish 72 holes on 10-under 278 at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.
American Ben Griffin, coming off a victory last week at Colonial, was four strokes back in second on 282 after shooting 73 with Austrian Sepp Straka third on 283, one stroke better than Canada's Nick Taylor.
"It's always a hard week to play this tournament," Scheffler said. "I battled really hard over the weekend and Ben made things interesting down the stretch."
The triumph marked the ninth consecutive time Scheffler has turned a 54-hole lead into a victory, this one coming at the event hosted by 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus.
"Overall it was a great week and definitely proud to be shaking Mr. Nicklaus's hand at the end of another good week," Scheffler said.
Scheffler won last month's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow for his third major crown after taking the CJ Cup Byron Nelson two weeks earlier.
By winning his first 16 PGA titles in just under 3.5 years, Scheffler became the fourth-fastest to go from his first to 16th tour wins after Sam Snead, Nicklaus and Woods, a 15-time major winner who took the Memorial from 1999-2001.
The victory marked the first defended title among the nine crowns Scheffler won worldwide last year, having edged compatriot Collin Morikawa by a stroke at the 2024 Memorial.
It also ensured Scheffler will be seen as the man to beat in two weeks at the US Open at Oakmont, where Scheffler seeks a fourth career major victory and second in a row.
"This is definitely a golf course that's going to expose your weaknesses," Scheffler said of Muirfield Village. "I've got a few things I can practice on next week. Overall, it was a really solid week, did some really good battling."
Scheffler sank a par putt from just inside 10 feet at the 14th hole and reached 10-under with a tap-in birdie at the par-five 15th.
Griffin, however, reached the 15th green in two and sank a 12-foot eagle putt to pull within three strokes with three holes to play.
Griffin then followed with a 27-foot birdie putt at the par-three 16th to pull within two of the lead.
Scheffler responded by dropping his approach at 17 just inside 20 feet on the way to a routine par while Griffin needed four shots to reach the 17th green on his way to a double bogey, falling four adrift.
Scheffler closed out matters with a seven-foot birdie putt at 18.
SCHEFFLER SOLID EARLY
Scheffler, who began the day with a one-stroke lead, birdied the first six holes to keep his one stroke lead while Griffin stayed on his heels by answering bogeys at the first and par-three fourth holes with birdies at the second and par-five fifth.
Scheffler left his third shot at the par-five seventh within four feet of the hole and sank the birdie putt to reach nine-under.
Scheffler curled in a par putt at the ninth from just inside nine feet to make the turn with a two-stroke lead, but missed a 12-footer for par at the 10th for a bogey that dropped his advantage to one shot once more.
At the par-five 11th, Scheffler responded by blasting out of the rough to 14 feet and curling in the birdie putt to restore a two-stroke edge on nine-under.
Griffin found a bunker on the way to a bogey at the par-three 12th and never found the fairway at 13 on the way to another bogey that left Scheffler ahead by four with five holes remaining. — AFP
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