Lowry settles for third as imperious Scheffler putts his way to five-shot Arnold Palmer Invitational win

Shane Lowry had to settle for third place and a $1.4 million pay-day as world number one Scottie Scheffler cruised to a five-shot win in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

On a day when Rory McIlroy's iron play let him down and he shot 76 — his highest score on the PGA Tour since that second-round 77 in the Masters last year — to finish tied 21st alongside Seamus Power (72) on one-under, Scheffler looked a class apart.

The 27-year-old American (27) closed with a bogey-free, six-under 66 to win his seventh PGA TOUR title from US Open champion Wyndham Clark on 15-under-par.

He left months of mediocre putting behind him and was the best in the field on the greens on the final day with his new mallet putter.

"Yeah, I played a good round of golf," Scheffler said after claiming the $4 million winner's cheque. "(My caddie) Teddy (Scott) and I got off to a good start and I just do my best to keep things rolling.
"I didn't look at many leaderboards today. I kind of stayed in my own little space and just tried to keep pushing."

After claiming the title for the second time in three years, Scheffler is the hot favourite to retain The Players at Sawgrass this week.

"Anytime you can win Arnie's tournaments is pretty special," he added. "He meant a lot to the game of golf and us being professionals and it's truly an honour to win here."

Lowry knew he had his work cut out as he headed out tied for the lead with the world's best player, but a level par 72 left him six behind in a solo third, and he only regretted getting off to such a slow start.

"There's probably only a couple of players who can live with him when he's playing like that," Lowry said of Scheffler.

"Obviously, I was disappointed I didn't put any pressure on him early. I got off to a bad start, and he got off to a good start. I was a few shots behind all day, and I'm sure Windham feels the same.

Proud to fight back from three over after seven holes to shoot level par and clinch his best finish since the Irish Open last year, he's looking to go a few places better at Sawgrass on St Patrick's weekend this week after finishing tied fourth and third in successive starts.

"I'm obviously a little bit disappointed but I got beaten by the world number one today, and he showed why he's the world number one,”  Lowry confessed.

"It was exhibition stuff for him, and I don't know if I had my A-game today, would it have been good enough today?

"I'm on to The Players next week at a course I love, off two good finishes, so rest up and get back at it on Thursday."

Lowry never recovered after he made a bogey to Scheffler's opening birdie to fall two shots behind and dropped another shot at the second to trail by three.

As he chased, Scheffler got further ahead and birdied the par-five sixth to leave the Clara man four strokes behind before rolling in an eight-footer for par at the short seventh as Lowry failed to get up and down.

While the 2019 Open champion rolled in a five-footer for birdie at the ninth to turn for home four adrift, Scheffler moved up a gear.

The former Masters champion brushed in birdie putts from eight feet at the 10th and six feet at the 11th to move five ahead of Clark on 13-under and six clear of Lowry.

Even when he made mistakes, bunkering his approach at the 13th, Scheffler got up and down, then fist-pumped as he rolled in a 35-footer for a birdie at the 15th as Lowry made a seven-footer to join Clark in a tie for second, six behind.

The Offaly was not quite at his best and will be disappointed not to have made life tougher for Scheffler when holding a share of the 54-hole lead for the second week running.

He will nevertheless head to TPC Sawgrass for The Players this week with his game close to its best.

"I was behind the black ball pretty quick, and the bad shots he hit, he got them up and down," Lowry said. "He holed some nice putts, and before you know it, he shoots 66."

As for McIlroy, he never got going. He dropped a shot at the third before a poor drive at the par-five fourth saw him zig-zag his way up the hole, taking six to fall seven behind.

It got worse for the Holywood star when he hooked his second shot well left into the lake and ran up double-bogey seven at the par-five sixth, then dropped another shot at the eighth to turn in 41, a whopping 11 shots behind Scheffler.

He would follow another bogey at the 11th, with his first birdie of the day at the 13th and another at the 15th.

Alarmingly, he played the par-fives in one-over for the week, 13 shots worse than Scheffler, but his iron play cost him.

He was 57th of 58th for his approach play in round four, missing ten greens, and admitted he has work to do for The Players this week.

"Another great week off the tee," McIlroy said. "I feel like I found a good feeling with the putting as well. I putted well the last three days. Just the iron play's let me down.

"It's been the same story the last few weeks. I'm struggling with a left miss with the irons, and it's hard because the longer clubs, the woods, feel so good, and then the irons don't really feel that good.

“So I feel like I'm having to put like two different swings on the woods and the irons at the minute, which is a struggle.

"But everything else feels pretty good, so if I can get the irons tightened up, I feel like I'll be in a good spot.

As for Scheffler, he admitted he was impressed by Scheffler's consistency and unsurprised to see him leave the rest for dead once he rediscovered his putting.

"Anyone can pop up and win an event here or there or get on a good run, but the consistent performances that Scottie's been putting in week-in and week-out every time he tees it up, it is incredible," McIlroy said.

"Then what he's doing this week, I mean, this is a super tough golf course and to be 6-under today going out with the lead and just sort of lapping the field is, it's super impressive.

"But we all knew that he had this in him. His ball striking is, honestly, on another level compared to everyone else right now. We knew if he started to hole putts, then this sort of stuff would happen."

Power enjoyed his best finish on tour since last year's John Deere Classic when he tied for 21st on one-under after a closing 72 featuring four birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey six at the eighth.