Scheffler wins Hero World Challenge on Woods return
World number one Scottie Scheffler fired a bogey-free 68 on Sunday for a three-shot win in the Hero World Challenge, where 15-time major champion Tiger Woods said he'd "come a long way" in his first tournament since April. Scheffler had four birdies in his four-under par 68 on the Albany golf course in the Bahamas, his 20-under total of 268 beating Austrian Sepp Straka by three shots to give him the trophy after runner-up finishes to Viktor Hovland the last two years. Tournament host Woods, who hadn't played since ankle surgery in the wake of his third round withdrawal at the Masters, said he was "ecstatic" with how the week had gone after carding a final-round 72 for an even par total of 288. Woods shook off a double-bogey at the second hole with birdies at the third, fifth and sixth. After bogeys at eight and 11 he birdied 14 and 15 before a bogey at 16 that left him 18th in the 20-player field. "I think I've come a long way," said Woods, who said this week that he was no longer playing with pain from leg injuries suffered in a 2021 car crash but still battled chronic back pain. "I wish I would have played a little cleaner but there's always next time." Having completed 72 holes, Woods said he thought his estimate that he could play one tournament a month in 2024 "seems reasonable." The victory in the unofficial event saw Scheffler end 2023 on a high note, nine months after he claimed his sixth US PGA Tour title at the Players Championship. (AFP)