Scheffler romps to Players Championship title

Scottie Scheffler will return to the top of the world rankings after a commanding five-shot victory at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

England's Tyrrell Hatton finished second on 12 under after birdieing his final five holes in a 65.

Viktor Hovland's 68 lifted him into joint third on 10 under with Tom Hoge.

Solid round enough to win

Scheffler started the final round with a two-shot lead over Min Woo Lee of Australia but that advantage had been wiped out by the third hole. Lee birdied the opener and Scheffler bogeyed the third to leave them tied on 13 under.

However, a triple-bogey seven on the fourth derailed Lee and he also had a double-bogey seven on the par-five 11th as his challenge further faded. He eventually signed for a 76 to finish on eight under par.

The threat to Scheffler strolling to the title appeared to be coming from Hatton, who was enjoying a barnstorming finish.

Hatton was level par for his first nine holes but then birdied the 10th, 12th, and every hole from the 14th to play the final nine holes in a record-equalling 29 and set a clubhouse target of 12 under.

But just as Hatton was finishing up, Scheffler was chipping in for a birdie on the par-three eighth to get to 14 under and that sparked his run of five successive birdies that took him into a six-shot lead.

The victory sees him become just the third player to hold the Players and Masters titles at the same time, emulating Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

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