Scottie Scheffler gets 5th 2024 win, first as a father, at the Memorial

Not solely is the win Scheffler’s first as a father but additionally it’s the primary of his now 11 PGA Tour wins to come back exterior of the months of February, March and April.

He’s the primary participant to win 5 instances earlier than the U.S. Open in a season since Tom Watson in 1980. All of his wins this season have come at both a significant (the Masters), the Gamers or Signature occasions (Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, Memorial).

Muirfield Village proved to be one of many hardest checks all season Sunday, on the eve of the U.S. Open. Morikawa was the one participant within the ultimate 14 teams below par because the course performed to a mean just under 75, the toughest of the week and second hardest on Tour this season after the second spherical of the Masters. Simply six gamers have been below par out of the 52 who made the minimize on the limited-field occasion.

Even Scheffler, who hadn’t performed an over-par spherical all yr earlier than final month’s PGA Championship, succumbed to the troublesome structure.

The World No. 1 began the day up three photographs on Morikawa, Sepp Straka and Adam Hadwin. However after failing to reap the benefits of both of the entrance 9 par-5s, Scheffler noticed that lead minimize to only one when he bogeyed the par-3 eighth.

Hadwin was the primary participant to shut the hole, however Morikawa, taking part in within the ultimate pairing with Scheffler, made three birdies in six holes to get inside a shot himself at eight below.

The 2 have been separated by a shot for a lot of the again 9 till the sixteenth, the controversial par-3 tweaked by Nicklaus for this yr’s event. Each gamers missed the inexperienced brief proper and Morikawa couldn’t get inside 20 ft together with his chip and made bogey.

Scheffler putted from off the inexperienced and left his try 16 ft brief, however his par try caught the left aspect of the outlet and dropped to increase his result in two as soon as once more.

The cushion was key as Scheffler dropped a shot after lacking the inexperienced at 17.

Each gamers missed the inexperienced lengthy at 18, leaving treacherous downhill pitches. Morikawa performed first, practically pulling off the miraculous together with his ball scooting by the outlet whereas Scheffler’s pitch from the heavy tough was practically hit too good, touchdown softly and stopping 5 ft in need of the outlet.

With each gamers about the identical distance from the outlet, Scheffler made his putt first, placing the event out of attain earlier than Morikawa transformed his par putt anyway.

The win can also be Scheffler’s first since his bizarre Friday morning arrest earlier than the second spherical of the PGA Championship. Scheffler was detained on his technique to the golf course that day, however the Louisville Metro Police Department eventually dropped all charges.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State College, incomes levels in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his highschool golf crew and lately returned to this system to function head coach. Jack additionally nonetheless *tries* to stay aggressive in native amateurs. Earlier than becoming a member of GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but additionally producing, anchoring and even presenting the climate. He might be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.