NAPA, Calif. — In what was intended as a Ryder Cup training camp for the American team, Scottie Scheffler turned in a typical performance: another victory. The world’s No. 1 player clinched the Procore Championship on Sunday, closing with a 5-under 67 for a one-shot win over Ben Griffin.
The victory is Scheffler’s sixth PGA Tour title of the year and his 19th overall. He joins Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer as the only players since 1960 to win at least six times in consecutive seasons. The win also boosted his season earnings to more than $27.6 million.
Scheffler erased an eight-shot weekend deficit to Griffin with rounds of 64 and 67, finishing at 19-under 269. The tournament concluded dramatically on the par-5 18th, where Griffin faced a 60-foot eagle putt for the win. His attempt came up five feet short, and the subsequent birdie putt to force a playoff lipped out, leaving him with a final-round 70.
“I felt like I just wasn’t quite as sharp from short range as I needed to be,” said Griffin, who has now finished runner-up to Scheffler twice this season. “But I’ll get to work this next week and hopefully make every single one of them at the Ryder Cup.”
Many on the U.S. Ryder Cup team targeted the Procore Championship to stay sharp ahead of the Sept. 26-28 matches at Bethpage Black, hoping to avoid the long layoff that affected them two years ago.
“We felt it would be a little bit more valuable to get all the guys together here this week to play tournament golf in order to stay in shape,” Scheffler said. “For me, there’s just a difference between practicing and playing at home, and getting under the gun in a tournament.”
The strategy proved effective, as four U.S. team members finished in the top 10. U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun (66) placed sixth, and Cameron Young (67) tied for ninth.
In a crucial performance for his tour status, Lanto Griffin shot a 65 to finish alone in third, his best result in nearly four years. The finish moved him from 142nd to 100th in the FedEx Cup standings, a vital jump in the first year only the top 100 retain full tour cards. “It’s huge,” Griffin said. “I kind of wish Scottie wasn’t here, but I’m sure the fans enjoyed it.”
World No. 1 amateur Jackson Koivun also had a strong showing. The Auburn junior, who played in the final group, shot a 71 to tie for fourth with Emiliano Grillo (66).
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