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Riley stayed strong on Sunday to defeat World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by five strokes and win the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Not only did Davis Riley hold off World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler to win the Charles Schwab Challenge, he won the event by five shots.
Scheffler struggled off the tee throughout the fourth round, so he could not challenge Riley much. The 27-year-old did not play his best golf but avoided massive disasters.
Riley carded an even-par 70 round on Sunday to finish at 14-under overall. He made four bogeys and four birdies on his day.
“I’ve been looking to get some momentum this year,” Riley said. “This helps a lot, catapulting me in the right direction — being in the field for the remaining two Signature Events will be huge. I’m looking forward to those to make a push towards the TOUR Championship. I’m over the moon and excited for the rest of the season.”
Scheffler could not get anything going on Sunday. After he shot 65-63 in Rounds 2 and 3, he completed his tournament with a 1-over 71. Riley held a strong lead for most of the round.
The former Texas Longhorn dropped three shots before finally picking up his first birdie on the par-3 13th. He added his second on 17, but Riley did not let any of his mistakes define him.
“I tried to treat today as if we both started tied, and I just tried to win the day,” he said. “I felt like I just stayed in my own bubble — I told my caddie before the round, I want to get lost in the process.”
Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images
Despite dropping his first shot on 2, he picked it right back up on 4. Another bogey came at five, but he made the turn in 35 shots with his second birdie at 9. The 11th hole saw him get to 1-under on the day. Two bogeys in the next four holes put some pressure on him, but it was not enough to lose. He added one more birdie at 17 to seal the deal.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide player finally felt like he had it in the bag midway through the back nine at the par-3 13th.
“I saw the leaderboard. I saw Keegan Bradley was at 9, Scottie was at 8 at the time, and he had a good look for birdie on 13,” he explained. “I knew I had a 4- or 5-shot lead at the time.”
However, Texas golf can be demanding. On Sunday, the winds swirled heavily, keeping Riley on his toes.
“With the wind the way it was, the firmness of the greens, how it was picking up, I knew it was going to be a tough finish,” Riley said. “Scottie was starting to hit some really good golf shots, and I knew he could make a push, so I tried to wear out the fairways and greens and try to get a couple opportunities — roll some good putts. If they went in, great, if not, I knew pars were good coming in.”
Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images
The Texas resident not only gets a fantastic jacket, but he will ride home in the Charles Schwab Challenge Schwab Stingray.
Riley will also get into the PGA Tour’s final two Signature Events — The Memorial Tournament and the Travelers Championship. This win could be what he needs to push his career in the right direction. It is a place that tends to test the best players, and he handled a firm and fast Colonial with poise.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
