Been there, done that: Scheffler’s win in WM Phoenix Open vaults him back to top of Official World Golf Rankings
Scottie Scheffler has been struggling this year to give himself a chance to win PGA Tour events because he’s been too far behind heading into the final round. All that changed on Sunday when he began the fourth round of the WM Phoenix Open with the lead and kept it on the way to a two-stroke victory at TPC Scottsdale.
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The win came at the venue Scheffler first tasted victory on the PGA Tour in 2022. In the span of just over a year, Scheffler, who graduated from the University of Texas in 2018, has five career PGA Tour titles, including a Masters Tournament championship, and has ascended to the top spot in the Official World Golf Rankings.
“It’s definitely good to get a first win of the year – I hadn’t won since the Masters,” Scheffler said. “I’ve given myself a decent chance a few times, so it’s definitely a lot of fun to kind of get this one done and with me just kind of being able to extend myself there a little bit at the end and make some key putts.”
Scheffler fashioned a final-round 6-under-par 65 on Sunday and finished with a 72-hole score of 19-under 265 (68-64-68-65). He outlasted Canada’s Nick Taylor (17-under-par 267), with Spain’s Jon Rahm third (14-under), Justin Thomas fourth (-13) and Australia’s Jason Day another stroke back in fifth.
Other former Texas players filled out the leaderboard as Jordan Spieth was tied for sixth at 11-under-par, Beau Hossler and Dylan Frittelli finished tied for 14th at 8-under, and Jhonattan Vegas tied for 23rd at 6-under.
In the final round, Scheffler drained a 22-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th hole to break a deadlock with Taylor. Scheffler took a two-shot lead on the par-3 16th, when he made a 15-foot par putt, and then birdied the par-4 17th hole with a five-foot putt to increase his lead to three strokes.
Scheffler won despite not having his “A” game, especially off the tee. He hit just five fairways in Saturday’s third round and then repeated that performance in the final round.
“I hit some wild shots off the tee that were pretty uncharacteristic for how I usually shape the ball,” Scheffler said. “I was just able to grind it out, make a lot of putts. I think I only had two bogeys this week, which is really, really good around this golf course. So I’m proud of that with my short game and putting. Hoping to build on this going forward.”
Scheffler is one of 17 different former Longhorns to claim a win on the PGA Tour. Those 17 individuals have now combined to capture 97 all-time PGA TOUR victories.
Scheffler is now sixth among former Texas men’s players in career wins and is one of the 11 former Longhorns to have posted more than one win on the PGA Tour. Tim Kite and Ben Crenshaw head that roster with 19 wins each, followed by Spieth with 13, Justin Leonard with 12, and Mark Brooks with seven.
There’s a lot to like about Scheffler and his “awe-shucks” attitude, but don’t be fooled – he’s a fierce competitor.
“I’ve always been really competitive and I don’t like making bogeys,” Scheffler said. “I don’t enjoy that. Any time I hit a bad shot it’s all about how you respond. Because bad shots are going to come. You’re not going to play 72 holes of perfect golf.”
So a Texas golfer takes the top spot in the rankings to Riviera Country Club this week and the Genesis Invitational, one of the premier tournaments on Tour on one of the top courses in the world. Scheffler is, as always, approaching this week with his eyes on the next drive, the next putt and how that affects the next round.
“I’ve said it a few times – I don’t really set long-term goals,” he explained on Sunday. “I try and stay in the present. So for right now I’m going to go to L.A but enjoy this win with (his wife) Meredith, and we’ve got a few of our friends here. So go enjoy this and then get out there (to Riviera).”
