by It was always going to take something dramatic to divert the focus from Monday’s crunch meeting between the PGA Tour’s top pros and the Saudis and poor Wyndham Clark certainly provided him with £3.5 million on the final green at a Championship of the Players.
The US Open champion’s 18-under 18-under to set up a playoff with Scottie Scheffler seemed destined to fall and Clark had his hand cocked, ready to produce the fistpump. But in the final revolutions the ball caught the lip and the cruel 360 was enacted back towards the beaten American.
With Clark in his hands, Scheffler celebrated on the driving range – where he was lining up for a potential three-hole shootout – as he became the first golfer in the 50-year history of The Players to retain his title.
It was his second win in as many Sundays and the world number 1 is the favorite for the Masters. “It’s pretty tough to win a single Players, so to have it back to back is really special, and yeah, I’m really grateful,” Scheffler said.
Despite suffering from a neck injury he sustained during the second round, Scheffler stormed through the field with an impressive eight under 64. Starting five behind Xander Schauffele, Scheffler polled his second from the fairway on the par-four fourth and from there reeled. out of six birds.
“I’m a pretty competitive guy, and I didn’t want to give up on the competition,” he said. “I did what I could to hang around until my neck got better. It felt really good today.”
At 20 under he waited to see if any of his pursuers could catch him and after birdieing the 16th and 17th, Clark came to the par-four 18th and needed three on the course A famous stadium.
How he stayed above ground no one who saw him will ever know, including the most painful of all, Clark himself. “I’m beside myself,” Clark said. “I am shocked and blamed. I don’t know how that putt doesn’t go in.”
Clark had to settle for a £1.5 million payout and a share of second place with Schauffele and Open champion Brian Harman in charge. England’s Matt Fitzpatrick put in a fine top-five performance, shooting 69 to finish on 16 under. However, without five bogeys on Sunday it would have been much better for the 2022 US Open champion.
McIlroy’s ory was never in contention but with 26 birdies – the second most ever at Sawgrass – there were certainly plenty of highlights. Alas, 11 bogeys and three double-bogeys also littered his four scorecards as he finished in a tie for 19th. The lowlights killed him.
Cut the world No. 2 sanguine figures later, expressing positivity that he can get rid of the game of gremlins in time for Augusta, where he will again try to complete the grand slam.
Tiger Woods was expected to crunch talks
McIlroy was also optimistic about the one-on-one of the six Tour playing directors with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the £600bn Public Investment Fund and chairman of LIV.
“This should have happened months ago, so I’m glad it’s happening,” McIlroy said. “Hopefully it will move conversations forward and get us closer to a solution.”
Since reports of the meeting emerged on Friday there has been speculation as to whether Woods will travel from South Florida to take part in the reunion which is believed to be taking place near the Stadium Course.
The 15-time major winner has not met Al-Rumayyan and Telegraph Sport reported on Saturday that insiders believe Woods’ showing is vital if PIF is to ensure an end to the LIV war that Jon Rahm saw just three months ago. on a deal worth more than £400 million.
McIlroy also feels it is vital to have Woods, his neighbor and friend, around the table. “I mean, he’s a player director, he’s on the board, so he needs to be fully involved,” McIlroy said.
After being LIV’s most vocal critic for the first 18 months of the issue ripping through the previously serene golf courses, Northern Ireland has recently been telling anyone who will listen – and that many who don’t want to – that they shouldn’t accept that LIV is spent. in the image of Al Rummayan, despite PIF launching and bankrolling the broken league.
McIlroy checked LIV chief Greg Norman in the LIV description which will make him less popular among most rebels.
“I’ve spent time with Yasir and the people who represented him in LIV I think they did him a disservice, so Norman and those people,” McIlroy said. “I see both entities, and I think there is a big disconnect between PIF and LIV. I think you got PIF over here and LIV over there doing their thing. So the closer we can get to Yasir, PIF and hopefully see that investment come to fruition, I think that will be a very good thing.”
McIlroy was asked to add to this theory. “Look, they’re a sovereign wealth fund,” McIlroy said. “They want to park money for years and not worry about it. They want to invest in smart and secure businesses, and the PGA is definitely one of those.”
And the difference between LIV and the PIF supremo? “Their adversity, and then I think he wants to be involved in the golf world in a productive way,” McIlroy said.
