Scottie Scheffler beat Canada’s Nick Taylor on the back nine Sunday to repeat as PGA Phoenix Open champion and overtake Rory McIlroy for the world number one ranking.
It was the 26-year-old American’s first title since holding the Masters last year and returned to the top of the rankings which he surrendered to Northern Ireland’s McIlroy last October.
“It feels great,” Scheffler said.
Scheffler fired a six-under-par 65 in Sunday’s final round to finish 72 holes at TPC Scottsdale at 19-under 265 and beat Taylor by two strokes for the $3.6 million top prize and his fifth career PGA title.
“I’m just proud of how I fought,” said Scheffler. “I don’t have the best stuff. I grinded out today.
“I didn’t hit that well. My irons didn’t feel sharp. But I played really good golf.
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Spain’s third-ranked Jon Rahm, who also has a chance to become world number one with victory, is tied for third at 270 after closing on 68 with two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas fourth at 271 and Australia’s Jason Day, PGA 2015 winner. , fifth at 272.
Scheffler became his seventh straight Phoenix Open champion and the first repeat champion since Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama in 2017.
He joins McIlroy and Max Homa as the only players to successfully defend a PGA title so far this season.
incredible run
Scheffler won his first PGA title last year in Phoenix to cap an incredible two months that included victories at Bay Hill and the WGC Match-Play before taking his first major crown at Augusta National.
Taylor and Scheffler were deadlocked for the lead with six holes to play.
Scheffler hit the green in two on the par-5 13th and rolled in a clutch 22-foot eagle putt to reach 18-under while Taylor answered with a seven-foot birdie putt to stay just one adrift.
On the famous par-3 16th hole, with 20,000 spectators packed into a stadium atmosphere, Scheffler was booed for missing the green with his 9-iron and Taylor’s 8-iron drew boos with a swing to the left as well.
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After relief from the grandstand, Scheffler chipped 15 feet through the hole while Taylor pitched just seven feet.
Scheffler rolled in a tense par putt to trigger loud noises from the crowd, pumping his right fist in joy at the feat, while Taylor missed the right hole moments later for the first bogey of the day to stumble two back with two holes left.
“That was a big putt,” Scheffler said. “It’s definitely fun to see that come in.”
Taylor had a horseshoe lip on a 16-foot birdie putt on the 17th and Scheffler followed with a tap-in birdie from inside five feet to reach 19-under and take a three-point lead. Taylor birdied 18 to shoot 65 but was just trimming the final margin.
Scheffler birdies early
Scheffler, who started the final round with a two-stroke lead over Rahm and Taylor, sank 10-foot birdie putts on the second and par-5 third holes.
But Taylor sizzled early as well, dropping his approach on the first hole to four feet to set up a birdie putt and adding a 10-foot birdie putt on the third.
Taylor chipped in from just under 38 feet for the sixth birdie, then joined Scheffler in sinking six-foot birdie putts on the ninth before matching the American for the lead with a three-foot birdie putt on the 10th.
McIlroy shot a second straight 70 to finish at 280 and share 32nd.
Rickie Fowler aced the par-3 seventh hole with a 6-iron from 216 yards. It was the American’s first hole-in-one in a PGA event since 2015.