LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler started the season as if nothing had changed, making four birdies over a six-hole stretch Sunday and dominating the likes of 18-year-old Blaze Brown. At American Express, he won by four strokes with a 6-under 66.
Scheffler won for the 20th time in the past four years on the PGA Tour, earning him a lifetime membership. Further demonstrating his dominance in the game, he won nine of those 20 tournaments by four strokes or more.
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By the age of 30, Scheffler had won 20 majors and four majors. The only other players to have achieved this feat are Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
The No. 1 player in the world shared the stage with Brown, who graduated from high school two weeks ago and competed in the Korn Ferry Tour event in the Bahamas that ended Wednesday. He became the first player to play eight consecutive days in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event.
Whether fatigue caught up with him or simply, at that moment he was on the verge of becoming the youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years, but it was over quickly.
At PGA West’s Stadium Course, Brown held a one-shot lead over 54-hole leader Siu Kim and one shot over Scheffler heading into the par-3 fourth tee. After five holes, Brown and Kim were both five shots behind and Scheffler went into overdrive.
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Brown went through 11 holes without a birdie and suffered a bogey in the second half for a 74. He fell from a tie for second to a tie for 18th, missing out on next week’s race at Torrey Pines.
Jason Day scored 64 points and moved up 18 places to runner-up place along with Ryan Gerrard (65), Matt McCarty (68) and Andrew Putnam (68).
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europe tour
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Patrick Reed held off everyone at the Dubai Desert Classic, shooting an even-par 72 for a four-shot victory. This is his first European Tour title and returns him to the top 30 in the world for the first time since joining LIV Golf.
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Reed also makes enough money from Rolex Series events that a new LIV contract would cover his fines for the European tour to play in a rival Saudi-backed league.
Reid revealed that he is still negotiating a new contract to play at LIV, which opens on February 4 in Saudi Arabia. The 35-year-old American, who will join the European tour in Bahrain next week, said he fully expects to join LIV and a deal may already be in place. This week he was just focused on golf and taking care of business.
Any drama at Emirates Golf Club didn’t last long. Reed took control with middle rounds of 66 and 67, entering the final day with a four-stroke lead over David Puig (Spain). Reed finished with a 14-under 274, winning his 12th world title.
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pga tour champion
KAUPLEHU KONA, Hawaii (AP) – Stewart Cink won the PGA Tour Champions season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship on Saturday, shooting an 8-under 63 for a three-stroke victory.
Sink, 52, finished with a 23-under 193 at Hualalai. It was his second straight victory in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship after ending last season with a victory in Phoenix. He has five senior titles.
Angel Cabrera was second with a 66, Retief Goossen shot a 64 to take third place at 18 under, and Ernie Els (67), Thomas Bjorn (66) and Freddie Jacobson (70) were on 17 under. Fred Couples, 66, shot a 70 to finish at 15 under.
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Other tours
Zimbabwe’s Benjamin Follett-Smith clinched his third Sunshine Tour title with a 4-under 66 for a one-stroke victory at the Cell C Challenge in honor of Gary Player. He played in front of players and finished 15 under at Killarney Country Club. Haydn Porteus took second place with a 70. … Jordan Doull won his second Challenger Tour of Australia title at the Webex Players Series Victoria with a birdie on the fourth hole of the playoff to defeat Marcus Fraser. He finished at 12 under at Rosebud Country Club.
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AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
