World No. 1 Schaeffler wins 2nd consecutive victory for the first time in The Players Championship history

PGA ‘Fifth Major’ What even Nicklaus, who won three times in 50 years of history, couldn't do, he won the last two competitions in a row. A total of 8 wins, a new week, and the prize money alone is 11.3 billion won. Kim Si-woo, 6th place, the only Korean player in the top 10

Scotty Scheffler (USA) is holding up the championship trophy after reaching the top of The Players Championship, known as the '5th major tournament' of the PGA Tour, on the 18th and winning his second consecutive championship for the first time in the history of this tournament.

Scotty Scheffler (28, USA), world number one in men's golf, won the tournament for the second time in a row for the first time in the 50-year history of The Players Championship. ‘Golden Bear’ Jack Nicklaus (84, USA), who won this tournament three times, and ‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods (49, USA), who won the championship twice, both failed to defend their titles. The Players Championship, which has the highest prize money on the PGA Tour, is called the ‘fifth major tournament.’

In the final 4th round of the tournament held at TPC Sawgrass (par 72) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA on the 18th, Scheffler reduced 8 strokes to 1 eagle and 6 birdies without a bogey, and reached the top with a final total of 20 under par 268 strokes. Scheffler, who won his 8th overall, beating the three people in the 2nd place group, including Zander Schaeffler (31, USA), by 1 stroke, took home the prize money of 4.5 million dollars (about 6 billion won). The total prize money for this tournament is $25 million (about 33.3 billion won). Schaeffler, who won two consecutive competitions following the Arnold Palmer Invitational (winner's prize of $4 million), which ended on the 11th, earned $8.5 million (about 11.3 billion won) in prize money in just one week.

Schaeffler, who started the final round in a tie for 6th place, 5 strokes behind leader Scheffler, started the comeback with an eagle on the 4th hole (par 4) that day. He hit the ball with a wedge from a distance of 92 yards (approximately 84m), bounced twice on the green, and then went into the hole. Scheffler later rose to the lead by adding three birdies in the first half and three birdies in the second half. Chopley, Brian Harman (37, USA), and Wyndham Clark (31, USA), who were tied for second place by one stroke, were all unable to reduce the number of strokes at the 18th hole (par 4), so the match was decided without extension. With this tournament, Schaeffler increased his personal 'reversal strokes' record, which turned the tide in the final round, from the previous 2 strokes (2022 Phoenix Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational) to 5 strokes.

On this day, Schaeffler said at the victory press conference, “I am happy to be sitting here again. “Winning back to back at The Players Championship, which is difficult to win once, is a very special and grateful thing,” he said. Schaeffler, who complained of a neck sprain during the second round of this tournament, entered the game today with taping on the back of his neck, but was said to be in pain. After the competition, Scheffler said, “I am a very competitive person. “I didn’t want to give up,” he said.

Kim Si-woo (29), the winner of this tournament in 2017, finished the tournament tied for 6th place with a final total of 15 under par and 273 strokes, scoring 8 under par with 1 eagle, 7 birdies, and 1 bogey. The world ranking of Kim Si-woo, the only Korean player in the top 10, rose 9 places to 44th.  토토