The American surged past Ryder Cup teammate Ben Griffin to finish at 19 under par, sending a clear warning to Europe ahead of next week’s Ryder Cup showdown.
Griffin, who will be making his first Ryder Cup appearance as a captain’s pick, began with a one-shot lead and three straight birdies, but his closing 70 left him one stroke adrift on 18-under.
Veteran Lanto Griffin fired a superb 65 to finish third at 17-under, boosting his bid to secure playing rights after back surgery.
Ben Griffin still had a chance on the 18th, reaching the par-five in two, but his birdie putt from inside six feet slipped by, handing Scheffler the title.
“I felt like I just wasn’t quite as sharp from short range as I needed to be, but I’ll get to work this week and hopefully make every single one of them at the Ryder Cup,” Griffin said.
“I think we’re all excited for the Ryder Cup to get here,” Scheffler said. “The thing I always focus on most going into tournaments is my preparation.
“When I step up on the first tee, I can tell myself I did everything I could to play well. I definitely feel that way going into the Ryder Cup, and I’m excited to get it started.”
Scheffler carded six birdies against a lone bogey, capping a week of steady improvement at Silverado Resort in Napa, California, where 10 of US captain Keegan Bradley’s 12 Ryder Cup players were in action.
Teeing off in the penultimate group, the world No. 1 admitted he wasn’t fully aware of how the leaders were faring ahead of him.
“I kind of did my best to just stay in my own world and try to keep making birdies,” he said. “I could have used a few more there late on the back nine, but the golf course just got really tough late this afternoon… I did a good job of staying patient and finishing off nicely.”
Scheffler will lead the US charge at the Ryder Cup later this month, when the Americans host Europe at Bethpage Black from September 26 in the biennial match play showdown.
US captain Keegan Bradley also had reason to smile as rookie J.J. Spaun, this year’s US Open champion, closed with a six-under 66 to finish sixth on 273. Just ahead of him, Emiliano Grillo and World No 1 amateur Jackson Koivun shared fourth place.
