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PGA Tour: Scottie Scheffler edges Sepp Straka for Hero World Challenge title

Scottie Scheffler wins 2023 Hero World Challenge

Scottie Scheffler held off Ryder Cup rival Sepp Straka to win the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas on Sunday.

Scheffler - who had finished runner-up to Viktor Hovland in each of the last two years - took a three-shot lead into the final round and carded a closing 68 to finish 20 under par, claiming his third title of the year. 

Straka returned a flawless 64 to finish 17 under, with Justin Thomas a shot further back in third. Hovland surged through the field with a 63 to finish 10th.

"I think this is great for momentum," Scheffler told NBC.

"I talked a little bit about it at the beginning of the week, this was kind of a warm-up for the [next] season.

"I came in maybe not practising as much as I would have for a regular tournament but I was refreshed and ready to go and so it was a good lesson for me about the value of rest and maybe I don't need to do as much preparation and focus more on the rest going into tournaments."

Tiger Woods had earlier carded a closing 72 in his first event since undergoing ankle surgery after withdrawing from the Masters in April, the 15-time major winner finishing the week on level par and 18th in the 20-man field.

The 47-year-old recovered from a double bogey on the third with three birdies in the next four holes and also birdied the 14th and 15th after dropping shots on the eighth and 11th.

"I think I've come a long way," Woods told NBC.

"From being a little bit rusty to playing four days and knocked off a lot of rust which was great, and just the physicality of actually playing and competing again – I haven’t done this in a while.

"It was nice to get out here with the guys, have some fun and compete. I wish I would have played a little cleaner but there's always next time."

Asked about his pre-tournament prediction that he could be able to play one tournament a month in 2024, Woods added: "If you ask me right now I'm a little bit sore.

"But once a month seems reasonable. It gives me a couple of weeks to recover, a week to tune up. Maybe I can get into a rhythm. That's what the plan was going into next year and I don't see why that would change."

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