FORT WORTH, Texas — Ben Griffin figured it would not be straightforward even after instantly breaking his tie with co-leader Matti Schmid and main by 5 pictures simply 5 holes into the ultimate spherical at Colonial.
Schmid saved it fascinating all the best way to the tip.
Griffin earned his first particular person PGA Tour victory a month after successful a group occasion, taking pictures 1-over 71 to complete at 12-under 268 within the Charles Schwab Problem, one shot forward of Schmid as each struggled on a heat day with wind gusts round 30 mph at Hogan’s Alley.
Schmid compelled Griffin to make a 4-foot par putt on the 72nd gap after his chip from the deep tough behind the inexperienced went in for birdie. Griffin saved par from the tough, standing in a bunker whereas choking approach down on the membership with the ball nicely above his toes on his chip. Schmid shot 72.
“To begin with, it was like whack-a-mole hitting that third shot,” Griffin mentioned. “In my head, I used to be considering Matti would possibly in all probability make that. Happily, I had that 4-footer. I felt fairly good over it. Simply left edge and belief it.”
Griffin and Schmid, the 27-year-old German in search of his first tour win in his 79th begin, had matching scores every of the primary three days.
Schmid was the one who surged in entrance early within the third spherical, taking a three-shot lead. Griffin had a five-shot edge after simply 5 holes within the remaining spherical, and eventually let Schmid get inside a stroke with a two-shot swing at 16 earlier than getting the lead again to 2 with a gap to play.
Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 and hometown favourite who received the PGA Championship final week, could not match his Saturday surge from 10 pictures again. The three-time main winner started the day six pictures again, however had simply two birdies and a bogey in a 69 to complete 8 beneath.
Scheffler fell in need of turning into the primary to win three consecutive begins since Dustin Johnson eight years in the past, and simply missed a fourth consecutive 12 months of ending within the prime three at Colonial. He tied for fourth, one shot behind Bud Cauley, who shot 67.
“Total it was a very difficult day,” Scheffler mentioned. “I feel Friday in all probability damage me by way of successful this match, however total three of the 4 days I performed what I felt was fairly stable.”
Rickie Fowler by no means threatened the co-leaders, both, beginning slowly and ending his fading hopes with a 7 on the par-5 eleventh. Fowler, who entered ranked 127th after being within the prime 25 as just lately as early 2024, shot 74.
The 29-year-old Griffin teamed with Andrew Novak, who completed 6 beneath at Colonial, for the victory on the Zurich Basic in New Orleans final month. They left openings for others then, simply as Griffin did Sunday.
Griffin and Schmid took a four-shot lead into the ultimate spherical, and stayed 1-2 regardless of each ending over par for the day.
Schmid had six bogeys and a double bogey to go along with six birdies, whereas Griffin had 4 bogeys after opening with an eagle and a birdie.
“No lead is ever secure on the PGA Tour,” Griffin mentioned. “It might really feel like a match’s accomplished. Perhaps if it is Scottie Scheffler with a five-shot lead, it is accomplished. I used to be making an attempt to maintain the pedal down. I saved hitting loads of drivers, saved making an attempt to offer myself birdie putts. I simply did not give myself loads of birdie putts.”
Griffin hit simply 4 of 14 fairways and 7 of 18 greens however made consecutive testy par putts on the again 9, the primary on the par-4 14th leaving him with a three-shot lead when Schmid missed a shorter putt for par.
Schmid obtained inside one by hitting his tee shot inside 3 toes on the par-3 sixteenth earlier than Griffin missed a par putt. The momentum swung once more on the following gap when Griffin saved par from behind a tree within the fairway and Schmid curiously aimed away from the outlet along with his ball plugged in a bunker, ended up within the tough and made bogey.
“The one two locations have been proper of the inexperienced or lengthy left, and I feel then I’d have needed to chip up and over,” Schmid mentioned. “I feel the up-and-down was somewhat extra easy. At that time I simply tried to make a 5, and fortunately I did it.”
Then he made issues fascinating on the ultimate gap.
“Actually I simply tried to hit it lengthy left somewhat bit,” Schmid mentioned. “Hit it fairly excessive so it could cease fairly shortly and simply got here out a bit proper and went in. A little bit of luck, however deserved it.”
Tommy Fleetwood had the opposite spotlight on 18, after taking pictures a 31 on the entrance 9 to get into competition however shedding momentum with a bogey at 11. His birdie putt on the ultimate gap stopped on the lip of the cup, and he waited nearly 30 seconds hoping the gusting wind would push the ball into the outlet. Nature obliged.
Fleetwood shot 68 to tie Scheffler in his forty first top-10 end on the PGA Tour, essentially the most by a participant and not using a victory since 1983.
