MIAMI: Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler completed a stunning golf season by defending his title at the Hero World Challenge on Sunday to capture his ninth victory of the year. The 28-year-old American fired a bogey-free, nine-under par 63 to finish on 25-under 263 after 72 holes in the 20-man unofficial invitational event at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas.

That was good enough for a six-stroke victory over South Korean Tom Kim with two-time major winner Justin Thomas third on 270. “Very satisfying,” Scheffler said. “I did a lot of good stuff today on the course, played a really solid round of golf. I got off to a good start.”

Scheffler, who birdied three of the first four holes, joined host Tiger Woods from 2006-2007 and Norway’s Viktor Hovland from 2021-2022 as the only back-to-back winners of the event. Scheffler, who had not competed in a stroke-play event since winning the PGA Tour Championship in August, added to a 2024 trophy haul that includes a second Masters green jacket and Paris Olympic gold.

“Feels nice to take a little break and come back and continue to play some pretty solid golf,” Scheffler said. “Very pleased with the results this week.” That includes his work on a new putting grip, which delighted him as he prepares for more rest ahead of January’s start to a new campaign.

“Overall, just head home tonight and try and get some rest and continue to work on the stuff I’ve been working on this off-season to get ready for next season,” Scheffler said of his plans. Thomas, who led compatriot Scheffler by a stroke when the day began, failed to snap a win drought that has lingered since capturing the 2022 PGA Championship.

Thomas followed birdies at the first and fourth holes with bogeys at the par-3 second and fifth. His stumbling start allowed Scheffler to seize the lead with an eight-foot birdie at the opening hole, a tap-in birdie at the par-5 third and a stunning birdie putt from just inside 50 feet at the fourth.

Kim birdied all three par-5s on the front nine — the third, sixth and ninth holes — and sank a four-foot birdie putt at the 10th to reach 19-under. But Scheffler pitched inside four feet and birdied the ninth, then rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt at the 10th to reach 21-under and his lead stretched to three strokes when Kim lipped out a two-foot putt to bogey the par-5 11th.

Scheffler pulled away from there by sinking birdie putts on four of the final six holes, three from inside four feet and a 10-footer at the par-4 16th . — AFP