Players Championship fourth-round highlights: Scottie Scheffler's 2 at No. 4 ignites his day
Shot of the day
Scottie Scheffler kick-started his rally from behind during Sunday's final round of the 50th Players Championship with an eagle-two at the par-4 fourth hole. He holed a wedge from 92 yards out for the 34th eagle-two at the short par-4 in tournament history and went to shoot 64 to win The Players at 20-under-par 268, the first for a defending champion. It was Scheffler's sixth hole-out from the fairway cut of a hole this season.
Hole of the day
Despite Scheffler's 2, the fourth was one of the most difficult holes on the course in the fourth round, playing to an average of 4.205, third-hardest on the Stadium Course. Players misjudged the severe slope when hitting into the green with the traditional Sunday back-left hole position and had the most three-putts with six.
Stat of the day
27: Birdies for the tournament by Atlantic Beach resident Sam Ryder, breaking the record of 26 held by Fuzzy Zoeller in 1994. Ryder had nine birdies in the final round but also had a triple-bogey at the 13th hole and three bogeys for a 69. He tied for 16th at 10-under 278.
Island Green report
A day after the par-3 17th hole gave up the lowest scoring average in tournament history, nerves and the back-right pin position got the best of the field. The hole was No. 1 in difficulty at 3.342, with 11 balls hit in the water. There are only four birdies (by Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry and Denny McCarthy), nine bogeys, eight double-bogeys and one quadruple-bogey 7 by Martin Laird.
There were 39 balls hit into the water for the tournament, the lowest total since 36 in 2016.
They said it
"It's tough enough to win one Players, so to have it back-to-back is extremely special, and yeah, really thankful."
Scottie Scheffler on becoming the first repeat champion in the history of the tournament.
"On 11 I looked — it's the first time I really looked at a leaderboard, and I kind of chuckled and I said, 'yeah, of course.' I mean, he's the best player in the world."
Wyndham Clark on when he noticed Scottie Scheffler making his move.
"Nothing like Wyndham. That's a heartbreaker there. He putted so well. We were sitting in there watching the end, I knew he hit a good putt and that one probably should have gone in."
Brian Harman on if he ever had a putt lip put like Clark's on the final hole.
"A ton of positives. I haven't cracked an egg since they moved this tournament to this time of year. To hang in there with the best of them is good for me to know. I came in second — lost by a lot though to Webb, I believe, when it was firm and fast. That second felt different. This one sucks a little bit more, but just another close call."
Xander Schauffele on his history at The Players.
They wrote it
This was the 50th Players Championship. What will the 100th look like? Garry Smits talked with some experts about the future of golf.
Gene Frenette urges all parties in the PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf conflict to get a resolution done.
Peter Malnati has been pretty vocal this week. Tom D'Angelo explains why.
Look, it's St. Patrick's Day. It was sunny and warm. And there was beer. Is there any surprise some dragons came out to play?
Atlantic Beach resident Sam Ryder (no, he's not related to the British businessman who was the first sponsor of the Ryder Cup) made the most birdies in the history of The Players Championship. That's not nothin'.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Scottie Scheffler's 2, a tougher Island Green highlight Players final round
