The Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship fairways have once again coughed up a winner, this time in the form of Sandy Scott. Scott, a man who clearly believes in seizing the day – or at least the entire darn week – led this whole shebang from start to finish. His wire-to-wire triumph left the other lads with little more than the faint scent of desperation and a sudden, urgent need to check their golf trousers for… well, you know.
His opening 69 was just the appetizer, a polite little "how do you do?" before a much more assertive 64 in the second round. Then came a 68 and a closing 65. These scores locked him in at the top of the leaderboard, a display of focus usually reserved for figuring out the instructions for IKEA furniture or staring into the abyss after a particularly bad slice. Scott’s 18-under-par total was just enough to nudge out John Marshall Butler, who I suspect spent a good chunk of Sunday watching the Grim Reaper of birdie opportunities tiptoe past his scorecard.
Rounding out the podium was Barend Botha. His closing 61 was, by all accounts, a glorious rampage through the course, a truly magnificent effort. Unfortunately for Barend, it was a day late to dethrone Scott’s serene dominance. This win isn’t just a personal pat on the back for Scott; it’s his first serious stab at climbing the ladder toward bigger golf glory, armed with his obvious talent and, I’m guessing, a very nice set of clubs.
You could argue that fighting for the top spots in golf is like trying to push a boulder uphill forever. But for Sandy Scott, this particular boulder has indeed reached the summit. For now, anyway. The Korn Ferry Tour, being the fickle beast it is, has a new favorite. We’ll have to wait and see if this is just a fleeting fling or the start of a beautiful, long-term relationship.