Not only did Davis Riley win the Charles Schwab Challenge over world number one Scottie Scheffler, he did it by five strokes.
Scheffler struggled off the tee throughout the fourth round and didn’t have much of a chance against Riley. The 27-year-old Scheffler didn’t play his best golf, but he avoided disaster.
Riley finished at 14 under par after a round of even-par 70 on Sunday, with four bogeys and four birdies.
“I was looking to get some momentum going this year,” Riley said. “This really helped me out and got me going in the right direction. It means a lot to me to get to play in the two remaining signature events and I’m looking forward to those events as I move forward towards the Tour Championship. I’m really happy and excited for the rest of the season.”
Scheffler couldn’t do much on Sunday, finishing with a 1-over 71 after shooting scores of 65 and 63 in the second and third rounds. Riley held a big lead for much of the round.
The former University of Texas Longhorn dropped three strokes before finally getting his first birdie on the par-3 13th hole. He added a second birdie on the 17th hole, but Riley didn’t let the mistakes affect him.
“I just played today as if we both started the round tied and just tried to win,” he said. “I felt like I was in my shell and I told my caddie before the round that I wanted to immerse myself in the process.”
Photo: Tim Heitman/Getty Images
He missed his first shot on the second hole, but quickly made up for it on the fourth. He bogeyed again on the fifth, but got his second birdie on the ninth to turn in 35. He was one under par by the eleventh hole. Two bogeys on the next four holes put him under pressure, but not enough to lose. He added another birdie on the 17th to seal the win.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide player finally felt confident of victory on the par-3 13th hole midway through the back nine.
“I looked at the leaderboard and saw Keegan Bradley in ninth and Scotty in eighth, both going for birdie on the 13th hole,” he explained. “I knew I was four or five strokes ahead at that point.”
But golf in Texas is tough, and the winds were howling Sunday, keeping Riley on his toes.
“I knew it was going to be a tough final match with how the wind was, how firm the greens were, how the wind was picking up,” Riley said. “Scotty started hitting some really good golf shots and I knew he was going to come at me, so I just tried to wear down the fairways and the greens and take my chances, try to roll some good putts. If they went in, great, but if they didn’t, I knew par would be good enough.”
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Photo: Tim Heitman/Getty Images
Not only will the Texas resident receive a fantastic jacket, he will also be riding home in a Charles Schwab Challenge Schwab Stingray.
Riley will also play in the PGA Tour’s final two signature events, the Memorial Tournament and the Travelers Championship, and this win might be just what he needs to get his career moving in the right direction. The tournament often tests the best players, but he handled the firm and fast Colonial with ease.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a Golf Staff Writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow us for more golf articles. Follow You can follow us on all major social platforms. You can also follow us on Twitter Follow Instagram: @savannah_leigh_sports
