Scheffler goes back-to-back in Players Championship in Sunday thriller at Sawgrass

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The roar could be heard from a half-mile away just 16 minutes after the final group set out Sunday in the final round of The Players Championship. It was loud enough to indicate something special had happened. The question was more “what” than “who.”

Moments later, Scottie Scheffler’s name appeared on the leaderboard, and he was on his way, adding another layer to his legend as the best in golf.

His 8-under 64 tied the Players Championship record for best Sunday score by a winner. His five-shot comeback matched another tournament record. And he now stands alone as the only back-to-back champion in 50 years of the PGA Tour’s premier championship.

“It’s tough enough to win one Players,” said Scheffler, who was coming off a five-shot victory last week at Bay Hill. “So to have it back-to-back is extremely special. Yeah, really thankful.”

For those trying to beat him, it was no surprise, even with Scheffler starting five shots behind.

“Just another week,” Xander Schauffele said when he saw that Scheffler had joined the chase.

Wyndham Clark didn’t see a leaderboard until No. 11 and Scheffler was tied for the lead.

“And I kind of chuckled and I said, ‘Yeah, of course.’ I mean, he’s the best player in the world,” Clark said.

Scheffler holed out for eagle from the fourth fairway — that was the enormous cheer — had four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn and had so much control of his game that he played the final 31 holes on the scary TPC Sawgrass without a bogey.

It added to a one-shot victory that came down to the very last putt.

Schauffele, Clark and Brian Harman all had a chance to force a playoff with a birdie on the daunting 18th hole at the TPC Sawgrass.