Weekend: Scheffler Dominates The Nelson
Record-setting win comes as the PGA approaches. Plus, notes from the weekend as Rory makes the rounds, Oakmont's storm, a plane lands at Riviera, Sovereignty, Journalism, and LIV hemorrhaging cash.
Even though Scottie Scheffler won by eight strokes over a star-light field on a soggy, ball-in-hand, about to-be-remodeled TPC Craig Ranch, there is still plenty to glean from the week.
There’s the obvious: the CJ Cup Byron Nelson showed us that Scheffler can win clean-shaven. In his hometown. In May. At the place where he debuted. And he’s clearly ready for his debut appearance at Quail Hollow during next week’s PGA Championship.
By passing up a battle with Philadelphia Cricket Club—standing in as host for Quail Hollow’s traditional spot on the schedule—Scheffler is true to his late-season word when he admitted to rolling in tired to the U.S. Open after winning a tough, grind-it-out Memorial.
Scheffler can now arrive in Charlotte early since to study Quail Hollow. He’ll be bringing a game firing on all cylinders.
How embarrassingly lopsided was his 31-under-par performance at the esteemed TPC Craig Ranch? Scheffler took an eight-stroke lead into the final day, the largest 54-hole lead in any PGA Tour-sanctioned event since Rory McIlroy took a similarly bloated lead into the final round of the 2011 U.S. Open.
Scheffler’s eight-stroke margin over Erik van Rooyen is second-largest margin of victory in Nelson history, second only to Sam Snead’s 10-stroke 1957 win.
In capturing his 14th Tour title, the 28-year-old Scheffler put on a statistical performance for the ages:
1st in Proximity (28’1”)
1st in Total Birdies (29)
1st in Par Breakers (44%)
1st in 3-Putt Avoidance (0)
1st in Putting Average (1.52)
1st in SG: Approach (+3.203)
1st in SG: Tee-to-Green (+4.243)
1st in Greens in Regulations (82%)
1st in Par 3 Scoring Average (2.69)
1st in Par 4 Scoring Average (3.73)
1st in Par 5 Scoring Average (3.83)
1st in Putting From 3-6 Feet (56/56)
1st in Strokes Gained: Approaching the Green (12.811) 😵💫
1st in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (16.972)
He also became the first Texan to win the Nelson since 2007 when Scott Verplank held off Luke Donald.
Speaking of the late tournament host and legend, CBS noted that the Nelson was one of the first events a wee Scheffler attended.
Armed with a framed version of the photo, CBS’s Amanda Balionis attempted to tee up Scheffler for something nice to say about that moment when he met a certified First Team all-time legend of the sport. It didn’t yield much.
“He's a great man,” Scheffler said while holding his son. “He was great for the game of golf. He was a great person, a family man, and I'm proud to be the champion at his event.”
After the round, he admitted his memory is not the best but gave a better answer.
“When I think about this tournament, I think about Mr. Nelson,” Scheffler said. “I think about what he did for the game of golf. He was a man of faith, and he was a great person as well off the golf course. He was a person that I've read a lot about. I've had the opportunity to meet him a few times when I was a kid, and I know a lot about him. He was a tremendous player and a tremendous person. So we look up to him in a variety of ways. I'm proud to be here supporting his tournament and his legacy.”
Scheffler also brought some much-needed emotion to what was otherwise a blowout win and a lackluster event.
“When I think about this tournament, I think about a lot of different stuff,” he said. “I grew up coming to watch it. This was my first start on the PGA Tour when I was in high school. The girl I was dating at the time is now my wife. We have one son. My sister was caddying for me at the time. She was here today. She has two kids.
“My family was all able to be here, and it was just really, really special memories, and I think at times it all comes crashing down to me at once. We have a lot of great memories as kids coming to watch this tournament. I just dreamed to be able to play in it, and it's more of a dream to be able to win it.”
Also…
Jordan Spieth is rounding into form just in time to pursue the final leg of a career Grand Slam at the PGA. He first became eligible to join the elite club in 2017 when the course hosted (T28). The 31-year-old posted a final round 62 to finish T3. It’s his best work since wrist surgery but he’s been on an encouraging run of late, finishing T12 at the Valero Texas Open, T14 in The Masters, and then T18 at the RBC Heritage.
Spieth: “I've been…stroking it really well coming into this week, and I didn't have much go in in Hilton Head, but statistically I've been on a really good putting run, and I just kind of got in a lull for what seemed to be Hilton Head and the off week even into the first few days here. Luckily today seemed to get out of it.”
The temporary use of rangefinders to speed up play has so far not made a dent, but has shown who retains a sense of integrity. Setting aside that any player with a caddie even needs the device, Davis Riley self-reported a two-stroke penalty for using the slope feature on his distance-measuring device. After fessing up, Riley was slapped with a two-stroke penalty but the next day admirably eagled his final hole to make the cut. He eventually finished T45.
Scheffler’s record play has moved him into co-favorite status for the PGA. The latest Oddschecker numbers:
Elsewhere:
Bryson DeChambeau recorded his first win since last year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst, leading wire-to-wire at Korea’s Jack Nicklaus Golf Club. Rounds of 65–66–66 kept him two clear Charles Howell III, who posted a Sunday 63. DeChambeau also captained his Shell Crushers GC to the team title.
Haeran Ryu bounced back from last week’s final round 76 in the season-opening major to win her third career LPGA Tour victory at the inaugural Black Desert Championship. Ryu carded a final round 64 to win by five over Esther Henseleit and Ruoning Yin, one of the five players in last week’s playoff won by Mao Saigo (T31).
McIlroy Makes The Rounds
Masters champion Rory McIlroy made the (NBC) rounds last week in celebration of his Masters victory. He donned the Green Jacket for appearances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Today Show, while wisely sticking with a traditional blazer for a CNBC Squawk Box appearance (The Lords might not have cared for mixing Green with green). That latter appearance with TPC President Todd Sisitsky can be seen here where they explain their new sports venture capital partnership.
Among the highlights from a Fallon appearance that also included a reenactment of his first childhood television appearance:
Tiger’s text message to McIlroy: “Tiger said, ‘Welcome to the club, kid.’ You know, there’s only six people have ever achieved the Grand Slam in golf. Only four of us are living. So it’s really cool to be a part of.” Almost as cool as when the two-time major champion Greg Norman welcomed Corey Pavin to the major club at Shinney!
On unexpected celebrity he heard from: “I was sorta overwhelmed with the people who reached out from all walks of life, culture, and entertainment. But the one that really got me was Sir Elton John. I haven’t been able to connect with him…His assistant left me a voicemail and said Sir Elton would love to congratulate you in person, the only problem is, he doesn’t have a cell phone, so you might get a call from a number in Windsor, England from a landline. I was like, sure. I just think it’s so cool, I mean, it’s Elton John. I didn’t even know that Elton John knew what golf was.”
Daughter Poppy’s uncomfortable question during Masters week after attending the day care provided to player families: “So they did this kid’s photo one day, and they all got these Augusta National T-shirts. On the back of them was a list of all the past winners up until 2024. Poppy came up to me one day and said, ‘Dada, why is your name not on the back of the T-shirt?' When I won I came back and said ‘Poppy, my name is going to be on the back of the T-shirt.’”
Asked by Carson Daly of Today about a possible Champions Dinner theme. “I’ve been into like wild game recently, so like venison, elk, stuff like that. I don’t know if that might be in it. That sorta fueled this run, so maybe something like that.”