Scottie Scheffler Dominates The American Express, Claims 20th PGA Tour Title
LA QUINTA, Calif. — Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player, started the new year with a bang, winning The American Express by four strokes on Sunday. This victory marked his 20th PGA Tour title, all of which he has achieved in the past four years. Scheffler’s impressive performance has earned him a lifetime membership on the PGA Tour.
Scheffler’s win was nothing short of remarkable, with the 29-year-old making birdie on half of his holes to finish with a 6-under 66. He began the day two shots behind but quickly took the lead, stretching it to six shots at one point. “There’s always a certain amount of rust when it comes to playing competitive golf,” Scheffler said. “You can simulate as best you can at home, but you can only get into the heat of the moment when you’re posting a score and you’re in contention when you’re at a tournament. So it’s nice to see some of the stuff that I’ve been practicing and working on has paid off.”
A Dominant Performance
Scheffler’s dominance on the course was evident, with four birdies in a six-hole stretch on the front nine that blew past 18-year-old Blades Brown and the rest of the field. Brown, who finished high school just two weeks ago, had been trying to become the youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years. However, his chances seemed to end on one hole when he took an aggressive line and pulled his tee shot into the water on the par-5 fifth, leading to a double bogey.
Scheffler, on the other hand, continued to play consistently, with wedges leading to two more birdies to close out the front and two more early on the back to lead by four. His short game was particularly impressive, with Brown noting that it was “underrated” and something he would like to work on. “I would say one of the coolest things that I learned today was how underrated Scottie Scheffler’s short game is,” Brown said. “To see it in person and just to look at kind of the trajectory and the spin, and just the control that he has with his wedges and short game. Obviously, his putting is insane, too. It was really cool to watch.”
Scheffler’s victory has also drawn comparisons to golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, with him joining their ranks as the only players to have 20 PGA Tour titles and four majors before turning 30. “Pretty wild,” Scheffler said. “It’s been a great start to my career. It’s been special. I try not to think about that stuff too much. I was just trying to do the things I needed to do to be prepared.”
A Lesson Learned for Brown
Brown’s experience playing alongside Scheffler was invaluable, and he acknowledged that he has a lot to learn from the world’s No. 1 player. “Eight rounds I know sounds like a lot, but I was having a lot of fun,” Brown said. “You’re telling me I get to play in a PGA Tour event and to play with Scottie Scheffler and see him win it, that was insane. I got some things I got to sharpen up, and hopefully we see if we can do what Scottie’s doing.”
Jason Day, one of four players who finished second, praised Scheffler’s work ethic and dedication to his craft. “It seems like he never wants to relax,” Day said. “He always does his work, needs to do whatever he needs to do to be able to prepare, and he’s always around the lead. And that’s a very, very difficult thing to do with how much distractions there can be, especially at No. 1.”
Scheffler’s next tournament will be the Phoenix Open, where he won his first PGA Tour title four years ago. With his current form, it’s likely that he will be a strong contender for the title. As for Brown, he will look to build on his experience and work on his short game, hoping to one day join the ranks of the world’s top golfers.
Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.
