Stephan Jaeger clinched his initial PGA Tour title in his 135th try by finishing with nine consecutive pars for a 3-under 67. This allowed him to avoid a playoff as Scottie Scheffler failed to make a 5-foot birdie putt on the last hole on Sunday at the Houston Open.
Scheffler aimed to be the first player in seven years to win three consecutive starts on the PGA Tour and had a strong chance. He gained a birdie by two-putting from 20 feet on the par-5 16th but missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th.
Scheffler's 5-foot birdie putt to force a playoff veered left, resulting in a runner-up finish with a score of 68.
Scheffler expressed disappointment, stating, “I'm a bit disappointed right now. It would be one thing if I pulled it or something like that. I just misread it. I don’t know why I misread it, it’s part of the game. Maybe I could have hit it with some more speed, I felt like I hit a nice putt kind of how I wanted to, just didn’t go.”
Jaeger, a 34-year-old German who attended high school in Tennessee at the age of 16, earned his first trip to the Masters with this victory. He is also qualified for the remaining four $20 million signature events this season.
Alejandro Tosti had a shot at becoming the fourth PGA Tour rookie to win early in the year. He was tied for the lead until he chipped too strongly on the 18th and missed the 18-foot par putt, resulting in a score of 68.
At the beginning, there was a five-way tie for the lead – the largest on tour since 2009. Throughout the round, eight players had at least a share of the lead at some point.
Jaeger consistently contended, taking the lead with an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-3 ninth hole at Memorial Park. He didn't secure another birdie for the rest of the day, but still emerged as the winner.
Jaeger shared, “I was just tried to stay within myself. Birdies eluded me on the back nine. But this golf course plays difficult, especially when you’re around the lead. I’m just super happy.”
Thomas Detry, David Skinns, and Taylor Moore all made errors during the crucial stage of the game.
Scheffler fell one shot behind when he missed the green on the par-3 15th and failed to save par on an 8-foot putt, falling two shots behind with three to play. He managed to recover with a birdie on the downwind 16th, where Jaeger had to lay up and settle for par.
Scheffler and Jaeger both missed advantageous birdie opportunities on the 17th, with Scheffler having one last chance on the 18th.
Jaeger finished at 12-under 268 and enters the top 50 in the world ranking for the first time.
Defending champion Tony Finau finished with two consecutive birdies for a 66 and joined Scheffler, Tosti, Detry, and Moore in a tie for second.
This was the final week for players to move into the top 50 and earn a Masters invitation. However, none of the players from outside the top 50, such as Mackenzie Hughes and Tom Hoge, performed well enough to secure a spot.
