Scottie Scheffler was greeted on the 18th green by wife Meredith and their baby son Bennett, with the World No 1 recording his first victory since becoming a father.
In emotional scenes, Meredith handed Bennett to Scheffler and said: ‘We are so proud of you! So proud of you! Say ‘way to go Daddy, I love you!’. I’m so proud of you!’
The World No 1’s family were waiting for him as he recorded a one-shot victory over Collin Morikawa, despite shooting a two-over par round of 74 on Sunday.
It’s the first tournament Scheffler has won since becoming a father and also the first since police charges were dropped following his shock arrest at the PGA Championship in May.
‘This tournament is very special to us, and it will be for a long time because of this moment,’ Scheffler said to Amanda Balionis. ‘It’s pretty amazing.’
Scottie Scheffler was greeted by wife Meredith and baby son Bennett as he won Memorial
Scheffler and his family posed with Jack and Barbara Nicklaus after he lifted the trophy
It was the 27-yer-old Scheffler’s first victory on the PGA Tour since becoming a father
It’s Scheffler’s fifth PGA Tour win this year, all since the beginning of March. The tournaments he’s won are a sampling of the most prestigious on the PGA Tour: the Masters, the Players Championship and three signature events.
Wife Meredith was absent from the Masters and RBC Heritage wins because of how heavily pregnant she was. Scheffler said he would have quit either tournament to be by her side if she had gone into labour while he was competing.
The 27-year-old Texan will be one of the favorites at the U.S. Open this coming week at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina.
Scheffler didn’t have to do anything spectacular in the final round at Muirfield, which began with him owning a four-stroke lead. After a bogey on No. 8, he scored pars on the next eight holes before a bogey on No. 17.
Scheffler and Morikawa, playing in the final pairing, went to the final hole with only one shot separating them.
Both hit their second shots over the green, and Morikawa’s attempt to chip in for birdie from 45 feet away barely skated past, allowing Scheffler to make par to win.
Earlier, Scheffler had a chance to stretch a one-shot lead on the 15th, but his putt for birdie clipped the cup and the ball stayed out.
‘This is a tough place to close out,’ Scheffler said. ‘It was a fun test of golf. I like when it gets this hard. I didn’t do a whole lot great today, but I did enough.’
Morikawa was within one stroke until his third bogey of the round came on No. 16, when he was off the green after his first swing on the par-3 hole.
On the 17th, Scheffler was greenside after two shots on the par-4 hole, but he left his entry to the green considerably short of the hole and didn’t convert the par putt.
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