Scheffler repeats at Players after Clark lip-out on 18 - ESPN

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — In the first 49 years of the Players Championship, there never had been a repeat winner.

Jack Nicklaus couldn't do it (three times). Neither could Fred Couples (twice), Davis Love III (twice), Tiger Woods (twice) and so many others.

On Sunday, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler became the first back-to-back winner in the 50th edition of the «fifth major» at TPC Sawgrass, chasing down Xander Schauffele from 5 strokes back at the start of the final round to win with a 72-hole total of 20 under.

Scottie Scheffler on Sunday became the fourth player to win at Bay Hill and TPC Sawgrass in the same year:

«Pretty special,» he said of repeating. «That's something you don't get the opportunity to do very often. It's tough enough to win one Players.»

With the two most recent major championship winners, Brian Harman (The Open) and Wyndham Clark (U.S. Open), and the world's sixth-ranked golfer, Schauffele, chasing him, Scheffler could only watch from the driving range as the trio tried to make one more birdie to force a playoff.

Scheffler's second victory in as many weeks wasn't secured until after Clark birdied the iconic 17th hole to move to 1 back and then cruelly watched his 17-foot birdie try on the difficult 18th catch the left lip and spin out for par.

With an 8-under 64, Scheffler became only the fourth Players winner to shoot 65 or better in the final round, joining Nicklaus (65 in 1976), Couples (64 in 1996) and Love (64 in 2003).

Harman, Schauffele and Clark tied for second at 19 under. Former Open Championship winner Matt Fitzpatrick was fifth at 16 under, birdieing his final four holes.

Scheffler matched the largest comeback by a Players Championship winner at TPC Sawgrass; Justin Leonard and Henrik