Scottie Scheffler rode his new putter to a five-stroke victory on the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday in Orlando, Florida.
Scheffler shot his lowest spherical of the week, a 6-under 66, to complete 15-under 273 and win Palmer’s occasion at Bay Hill Membership & Lodge for the second time in three years. He claimed 4 million USD for taking first place on the fourth signature occasion of 2024.
“Mr. Palmer meant quite a bit to me, meant quite a bit to us as skilled golfers and the sport of golf, and so it’s very particular to have the ability to sit right here and put on his crimson sweater once more,” Scheffler mentioned of the Corridor of Famer who died in 2016.
Wyndham Clark shot a 70 and completed second at 10 beneath. Eire’s Shane Lowry posted an even-par 72 to accept third at 9 beneath.
Scheffler, 27, is the World No. 1 however went practically one 12 months between official PGA Tour victories. His final triumph was the 2023 Gamers Championship, and he’ll now head to TPC Sawgrass subsequent week to defend that title.
Lengthy identified to wrestle together with his placing, Scheffler switched from a blade to a mallet putter this week. He mentioned he bought off to “a horrible begin” together with his new membership on Thursday however stayed the course.
“Once I bought to the observe vary after, the dialogue was not what are we going to repair. It was how properly that I did,” Scheffler mentioned. “And that each one goes again to the method that we’re engaged on and it’s not results-based. … It wasn’t like we had been looking for something on the market. It was extra simply form of a mirrored image of the place I used to be mentally on the time and I believed we did an excellent job.”
Scheffler and Lowry entered the day sharing the 54-hole lead, however Scheffler sank a 13-foot birdie on his opening gap whereas Lowry bogeyed his first two because of wayward tee pictures.
After another birdie on the entrance 9, Scheffler slammed the door by making consecutive birdies at Nos. 10-11 and once more at Nos. 15-16. His right-to-left 35-footer on the par-4 fifteenth died proper on the gap and dropped for an exclamation level.
Does that imply he has the putter he wants going ahead?
“I imply, hopefully,” Scheffler laughed. “Yeah, I like not having to line the ball up. I line this putter up properly in the course of the face. It’s excellent visually.”
However as necessary to Scheffler because the change to a mallet model was a redressing of his psychological recreation.
“It’s not like I’ve been a nasty putter my entire profession,” Scheffler mentioned. “I’ve simply gone via a stretch the place it’s been powerful. Yeah, I believe this week I did a very good job of not letting the misses get to me.”
Along with two of Palmer’s crimson cardigans, Scheffler has one inexperienced jacket to his identify to this point however no different main championships simply but. His newfound energy on the greens might have his opponents nervous.
“There’s most likely solely a few gamers on the planet that may reside with him taking part in like that. Undecided I’m one among them,” Lowry mentioned. “I used to be clearly simply upset I didn’t put any stress on him early. I bought off to a nasty begin, he bought off to an excellent begin. I used to be a number of pictures behind all on the finish of the day.”
Lowry obtained one of many few sponsor exemptions into the match, and the FedEx Cup factors he earned will go an extended technique to a greater end in 2024 than he had in 2023, when he missed the FedEx Cup playoffs.
“I used to be near being quite a bit higher this week,” Lowry mentioned, “however one other top-five, some well-needed, much-needed FedExCup factors, and on to Sawgrass subsequent week.”
Russell Henley and Will Zalatoris every shot 72 on Sunday to tie for fourth at 7 beneath.
Sahith Theegala (68) and Brendon Todd (70) tied for sixth at 5 beneath. Byeong Hun An of South Korea (68), Emiliano Grillo of Argentina (71), Andrew Putnam (70) and Max Homa (73) completed in a knot for eighth at 4 beneath.