Miami: Masters champion Scotty Scheffler was on the verge of a fourth victory in five years when play was delayed due to darkness at the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage on Sunday.
Scheffler opened five strokes with three holes to play and became the first player since Tiger Woods in 2007-08 to win four times in five tournaments.
A two-hour, 32-minute delay on the course in Harbor Township in Hilton Head, South Carolina, meant play could not be completed due to storms and heavy rain, and the round will resume on Monday.
Scheffler, who is ranked number one in the world, sat out the Under-20 tournament with a team of Under-15 players.
He will also be the first player since Bernhard Langer in 1985 to win the Masters and win the Warisan next week.
Scheffler’s ability to get out of trouble showed itself on a rare occasion with the dark par-5 15th hole.
The American tackled and was fouled and forced into a penalty kick.
But he hit his next shot to 12 feet from the pin to ensure he remained unblemished since double bogeying the third hole of the first round.
“I feel like it’s really important to compare tonight, just to be able to sleep and still have a clean slate.
“I haven’t hit it in a long time, so I think there is some mud under the ball.
Scheffler started the day with a layup, but made a 53-yard three-pointer with an eagle in the 5th.
He birdied the next par-5 after putting his second tee 30 feet and two-putting.
He was four over for the day after birdying the par-13, hitting his approach six feet from the hole and making no mistakes on the green.
Scheffler said Monday he will treat the final three holes like another round of golf.
“I’m going to go home as soon as possible and rest. I’m going to pretend I’m going to play 18 holes tomorrow and do my normal prep work and come out here ready to start again,” he said.
Wyndham Clarke had the only round of any player to make the second round – a six-under 65.
Clarke said he would go one-under with five birdies on the 29th and an eagle on the second.
After a birdie on the 11th, he was eight under par, but double-bogeyed the 12th and dropped his efforts on the 13th and 15th.
But he finished with birdies on 16 and 17 and was happy with his performance.
“Honestly, it was a great day. I was just trying to get myself into the top 10 and get a good finish, which was a little fun. It seems we had a chance to do something crazy.” he said.
Also 18th under 15, J.T. Poston on the last hole and Sahith Theegala on 16.
Sweden’s Ludwig Aberg, who won last week’s Augusta Nationals, shot back with one hole to play.
