No one should have been at all surprised when Scottie Scheffler seized control of The American Express in the early stages of Sunday’s round at La Quinta.
Scottie Scheffler needed to hole a long par putt on his final hole in the third round to secure his spot in the last group on Sunday. The world number one actually got off to a shaky start in the last round with a bogey on the second hole.
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However, he was eight under par for the next 14 holes. Scheffler was able to find the water on the 17th and still win The American Express by four shots.
It was the 20th PGA Tour win of Scheffler’s career. He has sent out an ominous warning to those hoping to catch him over the course of the season.
What impressed Blades Brown about Scottie Scheffler’s performance
Blades Brown may be disappointed with his last round. The 18-year-old seemed to run out of steam after a remarkable run culminated with Brown putting himself in the final group on Sunday.
Unfortunately, his challenge all but ended with a double bogey on the fifth hole. He did, however, have one of the best seats in the house to watch Scheffler get across the line.
And speaking to The Smylie Show after the last round, Brown explained how impressive he found Scheffler’s performance.
“Scottie Scheffler’s the number one ranked golfer in the world right now, and it showed. That’s what they do, they just make the game so easy. I didn’t realise Scottie shot six under today and he hit one in the water on 17. He just makes it look so easy,” he said.
“I’d say the one thing though that I took away from today’s round was how underrated his short game is. That’s one thing I’m trying to work on with my game. I’d say his short game and then his wedges. He got up and down from weird lies – I remember at hole 13 or 14, it was the par three, he hits it way right and then I’m thinking okay, this will be a good shot to get inside five feet, and he lips it out and I’m like, this guy is unbelievable. So I’d say his short game and anything inside of 120 yards, that is what impressed me the most about Scottie Scheffler.”
Scheffler emphatically answered two of the last questions about him at The American Express
There was a perception that Scheffler’s game is not so well suited to the tournaments which have the potential to turn into birdie fests.
Scheffler is arguably at his very best when a course demands relentless concentration. And with that, there always seemed to be a chance that someone could post a 62 on Sunday at the Stadium Course and snatch the title away.
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But Scheffler had all but shut the door on everyone else by the turn. It is only the fifth time that he has won on the PGA Tour with a score of 20 under par or better.
Scheffler’s record at The American Express before this past week was underwhelming by his incredible standards.
With that, the manner of his victory in California certainly suggests that any hopes his rivals had of his dominance winding down anytime soon have been dashed already.
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