Log in

Scottie Scheffler builds 5-shot lead at Hilton Head. Rain forces a Monday finish

Posted 4/21/24

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is on the verge of another victory. He just has to wait one day because of the rain. Scheffler chipped in for eagle and was comfortably ahead in the RBC Heritage …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor

Scottie Scheffler builds 5-shot lead at Hilton Head. Rain forces a Monday finish

Posted

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Turns out only the rain can stop Masters champion Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler holed a difficult pitch for eagle on his second hole Sunday and turned the RBC Heritage into another rout. A storm system with heavy rain stopped play for 2 1/2 hours, forcing a Monday finish.

U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark made a furious charge early in the round at 8 under through 11 holes, only to lose ground with a double bogey in the trees. He posted a 6-under 65 and finished at 15-under 269.

Scheffler was 20 under and has three holes remaining when the final round resumes at 8 a.m. Monday. He was on the verge of winning for the fourth time in five tournaments, the exception a runner-up finish in the Houston Open.

He was trying to become the first player since Bernhard Langer in 1985 to win the week after slipping on the Masters green jacket.

The dominance looked about the same, minus the flat, tree-lined terrain of Harbour Town and the peaceful vibe on this idyllic island a week after a high-pressure major.

Patrick Cantlay was tied for second at 15 under when he hit is approach to the collar of the 18th green. He chose to mark his ball and return Monday to finish. J.T. Poston also was on the 18th hole and among the group at 15 under.

None had a chance of catching Scheffler unless the world's No. 1 golfer made a series of blunders in the morning, and that looked improbable.

Scheffler has not made worse than par since a double bogey on the third hole Thursday. That was put to test on his final hole. He hit his second shot on the par-5 15th into the water, had to drop behind a row of trees and then hit his shot with enough spin on the rain-softened green to feed down the slope to 12 feet.

He holed the par putt, lightly pumping his fist, showing more emotion than when he made his eagle on No. 2 or the two birdies that followed.

Tom Hoge elected to finish his round when the horn sounded to stop play. His tee shot sailed out-of-bounds. His fourth shot went into the native area and Hoge chopped his way to a quintuple-bogey 9. That gave him a 74, dropping him from a tie for sixth to a tie for 18th.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf