Scottie Scheffler claimed a second PGA Tour title, just 21 days after his first, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational after carding a final round even par 72 at a brutal Bay Hill.
Scheffler’s five-under-par total, which is the highest by a winner on the PGA Tour since the 2020 BMW Championship (Jon Rahm, -4), was enough for a one stroke triumph over Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland and Billy Horschel at Arnie’s place.
Two back at the beginning of the round, Scheffler was one-over through nine holes after two birdies and three bogeys before he rolled in a five-foot birdie putt at the 12th to get back to five-under.
The 25-year-old sunk a brilliant 21-foot par-saving putt at the 15th, and a testing six-footer for par at 16. He two-putted from 46 feet at the par-three 17th and from 69 feet at the last to reach five-under and claim his second PGA Tour victory.
The result also moves the American to fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking, jumping inside the top five for the first time in his career
“I did not swing the club well at all today off the tee,” said Scheffler. “I was hitting a lot of bad spots, but I just kept grinding. I made some key putts there towards the end and two great lag putts there to kind of finish off the round.”
“I would say the pars on 17 and 18 were gut check time,” Scheffler said. “The finishing stretch here is so brutal — 15, 17, and 18 are such hard holes.”
Former FedEx Cup champion Horschel started the day tied for the lead and had a chance to force a play-off at 18, but he failed to get his 29-foot birdie putt to drop and signed for a three-over par 75.
Hovland was tied for the lead after a birdie at 16 but bogeyed the par-three 17th from a greenside bunker and closed with a two-over 74.
“I hit the ball beautifully at the start, just couldn’t make any putts to get the momentum going,” said Hovland.
“It’s just a patience test. You’ve got to ultimately make some putts and have things go your way to win out here.”