MIAMI (AFP) – Scottie Scheffler was the last man standing at brutal Bay Hill on Sunday, firing an even par 72 to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational by one stroke.
Scheffler’s five-under-par total of 283 was enough to notch his second win in three starts, after claiming his first US PGA Tour title at the Phoenix Open in February.
He had three birdies and three bogeys at wind-whipped Bay Hill in Orlando, Florida, and held steady coming in as the tough conditions, compounded by glassy greens and deep rough, saw his pursuers falter.
Former FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel started the day tied for the lead and had a chance to force a playoff at 18. But he couldn’t get his 29-foot birdie putt to drop and signed for a three-over par 75 that left him sharing second on 284.
Norway’s Viktor 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 for 284. England’s Tyrrell Hatton was also in the group sharing second after an impressive three-under par 69.
Scheffler’s victory was a testament to perseverance, especially since he said his game was not that great.
“I did not swing the club well at all today off the tee,” Scheffler said. “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.”
