Let’s be fair: The Players Championship is over. Scottie Scheffler shot 65 with a birdie on the final Saturday to get to fourteen underneath and take a two-stroke lead over Min Woo Lee and a four-stroke lead over Cam Davis. It relatively most likely sealed the deal on what could be Scheffler’s 6th victory in his first 97 begins at the PGA Tour.
Scheffler is a ball-striking monster. He’s shedding strokes to the sphere on those vegetables and nonetheless main the most efficient collection of golfers within the recreation That’s in part as a result of he is lengthy and constant off the tee, in part as a result of he is an incredible iron participant and in part as a result of he is managing the hell out of TPC Sawgrass.
With a win on Sunday, Scheffler would sign up for Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the one golfers to carry a Masters identify and a Players Championship on the similar time. That’s odd corporate, and it underscores what Scheffler has been doing for the final 15 months. He and Jon Rahm were the most efficient avid gamers on the earth over that extend, however Scheffler has been outclassing everyone on the greatest occasions.
Scheffler has some excellent avid gamers at the back of him, and he may just completely shoot 73 or worse and lose to any individual charging up the leaderboard over the general 18 holes. But the chance of this is doubtful at preferrred. Scheffler has led outright going into the general spherical of a PGA Tour tournament 5 instances in his profession. He has two wins, a playoff loss and two outright losses.
So, OK, it is probably not over … however it is most likely all locked up. If no longer, here is seven golfers who can catch Scheffler on Sunday.
1. Min Woo Lee (-12): I’m all in on Lee, about whom Aaron Rai (5 again of Scheffler) mentioned the next: “He’s a great, great player. Great attitude as well, which I think is just as powerful as his game. He doesn’t have a weakness. I think he’s going to be a star out here on the PGA Tour in the coming years.” Lee is a risk who would possibly not be terrified of going towards Scheffler within the ultimate pairing. But he is not hitting it in addition to Scheffler and is if truth be told shedding strokes to the sphere together with his iron play. He has “had an awesome week but won’t have the battery to run down Scheffler down the stretch” written everywhere him, however in case you are occupied with some inventory, I purchased a ton after he sent this tweet final yr.
2. Cam Davis (-10): Davis is a low-key stud who is hitting the hell out of the golfing ball this week and cruised to a 67 on Saturday. Is he in a position to return again from 4 all the way down to the No. 2 participant on the earth to win a Players? He has the talent to take action, however Sunday goes to be a 300-level elegance from Scheffler in easy methods to shut out a golfing match. He’ll must navigate that during a place he is by no means skilled prior to, which will have to be a thrill to look at.
3. Tommy Fleetwood (-9): Fleetwood was once just about flawless on Saturday with a 65. He’s 0.33 within the box from tee to inexperienced thru 3 rounds, and that is among the easier spots he is been in to seize what could be a signature win at TPC Sawgrass. He has the engine to chase down Scheffler so long as Scheffler does not shoot one thing within the 60s, however Fleetwood has once in a while struggled to near out giant time wins.Â
According to Data Golf, Fleetwood’s anticipated win price has dropped throughout all ultimate rounds during which he entered throughout the most sensible 5 (the place he’s going to be in this Sunday). Still, the facility is there. It’s only a subject of having a couple of breaks and hitting an enormous ultimate kick.Â
Fleetwood spoke after his spherical about simply how onerous it’s to win at the Tour: “I’ve notice the standard has improved over the last two, three, four years. Players are getting better, and courses aren’t particularly getting any easier, but the standard’s getting higher, and you have to be really, really good these days. It’s noticeable, I think, throughout the tournaments and whoever’s in the field, anybody can turn up and win, which has always been the case, but I just think more so.”
4. Sungjae Im (-8): I do not know that Im, who is six again of Scheffler’s lead, is if truth be told in competition right here, however he is hitting the ball neatly this week. If any person past the avid gamers at 9 underneath has a shot, it is most likely him.Â
5. Tom Hoge (-8): Why no longer us?! Hoge made the reduce at the quantity prior to going out and taking pictures the direction document on Saturday in Round 3. It would possibly take every other direction document on Sunday to overcome Scheffler, however there is no doubt Hoge will opt for it.
6. Aaron Rai (-9): The Englishman does not have a most sensible 10 for the reason that Houston Open final fall. He’ll pass into Sunday’s finale with in all probability extra momentum than any person following a birdie-eagle-birdie finish to his 0.33 spherical (that eagle was once an ace at the seventeenth), however I do not believe he has the firepower to roll with Scheffler, Davis, Fleetwood and Lee over the past 18 holes.
7. David Lingmerth (-8): Lingmerth is extremely easy to root for, although he wore the worst outfit within the historical past of golfing when he completed T2 to Woods on the 2013 Players Championship. The excellent news? He’s been the third-best iron participant within the box on a golfing direction this is extraordinarily tough of it. He ranks at the back of simply Scheffler and Collin Morikawa. Lingmerth is not going to win, however do not be stunned if he performs his manner up into the highest 3.