Scheffler unstoppable with back-to-back PGA win

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, 29, has claimed yet another victory. It marks his third win of the season and 16th career title.

Scheffler shot a 2-under-par 70 in the final round of the Memorial Tournament on Sunday at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. He finished with a total score of 10-under 278, beating American Ben Griffin by four strokes to secure his second consecutive win at the prestigious event.

Hosted by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, 85, the Memorial is widely regarded as one of the most important PGA Tour events after the four majors and The Players Championship. Scheffler’s back-to-back win makes him the first to defend the title since Tiger Woods won it three years in a row from 1999 to 2001.

Scheffler missed the start of the season due to a hand injury in December last year, delaying his first tournament by about a month. Still, he has racked up three wins this year alone, including the CJ Cup and the PGA Championship in May. Since earning his first PGA Tour win at the 2022 Phoenix Open, Scheffler has now collected 16 titles in just three years and four months. That pace is the fourth fastest in history, following Sam Snead, Nicklaus, and Woods. Last season, Scheffler won seven tournaments, including the Masters and Tour Championship, and also captured Olympic gold in Paris.

With Sunday’s $4 million prize money, Scheffler overtook Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland to lead the season’s earnings list with $14,558,697. He also sits atop the FedEx Cup standings. Standing with Nicklaus by the 18th green after his win, Scheffler said, “This tournament is always a challenge, but winning here is always special. I’m proud to have finished strong and to shake Jack’s hand.”

On the same day, at the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin, Sweden’s Maja Stark, 26, claimed her first major victory on the LPGA Tour. Stark shot a total of 7-under 281 to defeat a group of runners-up that included world No. 1 Nelly Korda by two strokes. She took home $2.4 million in prize money. Among South Korean players, Choi Hye-jin finished highest in a tie for fourth at 4-under 284.


김정훈 기자 hun@donga.com