Written by DOUG FERGUSON, Golf Writer for the Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla.

Scottie Scheffler realized that the best solution for his putting difficulties was to stop putting in too much effort. This approach proved successful for him at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, giving him an unfair advantage over his competitors.

Scheffler showed his dominance on the course from the tee to the green, making every putt within 15 feet over the weekend. Despite the challenging conditions on Sunday at Bay Hill, he was able to maintain a clean scorecard during his final round and finished with an impressive 6-under 66, the lowest score of the last round by two shots.

The outcome was a win by five shots, the biggest at Bay Hill since Tiger Woods in 2012.

According to Wyndham Clark, the U.S. Open champion who placed second, it would be almost unfair if he begins putting extremely well. He added that he never wishes misfortune on anyone, but if he consistently putts well each week, it will be difficult to defeat him.

The mention of “strokes gained” was positive, as it is considered the most precise measure. Typically, Scheffler falls behind in this category, and this was especially noticeable at the Memorial last year. He gave up 8.5 shots to the field in putting and narrowly missed a playoff by one shot.

Rory McIlroy remarked that the level of ball-striking from him is unmatched by anyone currently. He also mentioned that it was expected that if he were to improve his putting skills, he would achieve this level of success.

Scheffler was absolutely uncontainable.

He sank a 12-foot putt to score a birdie on the first hole, gained a three-shot advantage by the halfway point, and continued to dominate as Clark, Shane Lowry, and Will Zalatoris struggled to keep up at Bay Hill.

On the 10th hole, Scheffler made a wedge shot that landed 8 feet away from the hole, resulting in a birdie. He followed it up on the 11th hole with another wedge shot that stopped just 6 feet from the hole. He skillfully saved par on crucial holes and then sealed the deal with a 35-foot birdie on the 15th, celebrating with a triumphant yell and a small fist pump.

According to Scheffler, part of the issue is simply putting in too much effort. It’s frustrating to not perform at my best, especially since I know I have the ability to putt as well as anyone. It’s not like I’ve always struggled with putting throughout my career, but recently it has been a challenge.

This week, I believe I did a great job of not allowing my mistakes to affect me.

Scheffler concluded the signature event with a 15-under score of 273, earning a $4 million prize from the $20 million purse. This marked his seventh victory throughout his career, all of which were achieved against formidable competition.

This occurred a week prior to Scheffler’s defense of his title at The Players Championship, which marked his most recent official victory on the PGA Tour.

The only hindrance he faced in the past year was his putter. This week, Scheffler changed to a mallet design, but what truly mattered was maintaining mental composure, focusing on the stroke rather than the end result.

Both were superb.

Scheffler explained, “I focused on my own small area and continued to persevere.”

Earlier in the week, Scheffler discussed the importance of calming the mind. The key was not to shut out all distractions – particularly the constant inquiries about his putting – but rather to direct his energy towards something positive. He also made sure to maintain a balance and not let his putting overshadow his impressive performance on the rest of the course.

Lowry, who began the day in a tie for first place, praised the dominating performance from the top-ranked player in the world, saying, “He proved today why he holds the number one spot.” However, despite his best efforts, Lowry was unable to catch up and ultimately finished third with a final score of 72. He managed three birdies and seven pars in the last 10 holes.

Clark put in a valiant effort to keep his score close, trailing behind by only two shots after eight holes. However, the tides turned rapidly. On the ninth hole, Clark’s drive landed in the rough, resulting in a bogey. Following that, he was unable to make another birdie until the 16th hole, which was a par-5.

Clark came in second and was awarded a significant consolation prize of $2.2 million after birdying the 18th hole.

Zalatoris and Russell Henley both scored a 72 and finished tied for fourth place. Zalatoris earned a place in the British Open by having the lowest score among players who were not already exempt.

Scheffler extended his lead in the world rankings over McIlroy, who had a possibility of surpassing him with a win at Bay Hill. However, McIlroy started the final round four strokes behind and struggled, shooting a 41 on the front nine. In the end, he finished with a 76 and tied for 21st place.

“This is a super tough golf course and to be 6 under today going out with the lead and just sort of lapping the field is super impressive,” McIlroy said. “But we all knew that he had this in him.”

This should at least stop questions about Scheffler’s putting. He led the field in the most vital putting statistic on Sunday and ranked fifth for the week. This came after he indicated earlier in the week how much the constant questions were grating on him.

On Monday at the TPC Sawgrass, he acknowledged that frequent inquiries about putting can make it seem like he’s not performing well. However, he believes that he is actually playing quite well.

Bay Hill served as the ideal reminder.

“It’s been a while since I’ve won,” mentioned Scheffler. “There’s been a significant amount of talk about my game and its current state, so it was refreshing to enter with a positive mindset and perform under pressure.”

“I consider today’s round to be particularly significant for my future progress.”

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Golf News from the Associated Press: Visit the AP’s golf hub at https://apnews.com/hub/golf.

Source: wralsportsfan.com