WM Phoenix Open: Scottie Scheffler takes world No 1 from Rory McIlroy with brilliant title defence | Golf News

Scottie Scheffler claimed his fifth PGA Tour victory and first win since The Masters with a successful title defense at TPC Scottsdale; Rory McIlroy finished tied for 32nd and lost the world No. 1 ranking for the first time since October

Scottie Scheffler ended Rory McIlroy’s tenure at the top of the world rankings after completing a successful title defense with a two-stroke victory at the WM Phoenix Open.

Scheffler held off strong challenges from playing partners Jon Rahm and Nick Taylor during a thrilling final round at TPC Scottsdale, with a bogey-free 65 enough to clinch his fifth PGA Tour title and first since April.

The 26-year-old carded an eagle and four birdies to end the week at 19 under and comfortably ahead of the closest challenger Taylor, who birdied the last to match Scheffler’s final round of 65, with Rahm five strokes off the pace in third.

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Scottie Scheffler responded by winning the WM Phoenix Open and returning to No. 1 at TPC Scottsdale.

Victory saw Scheffler become the seventh player to successfully defend his title in Phoenix and move him into fifth place in the FedExCup standings, with his latest success also meaning he will leapfrog McIlroy – who ended the week tied for 32nd – as No.1 in world.

How Scheffler returned to world number 1

Rahm and Taylor promptly halved Scheffler’s overnight advantage with birdies at the first, only for the Masters champion to roll from 10 feet on the next par-four to restore a two-shot cushion.

Scheffler converted from the same distance on the par-five third to match the birdies of the playing partners, including from 20 feet by Rahm, then the important par-save hole on the fifth after the poor first putt ran 10 feet through the hole.

Rahm has gone up and down the fairway five times – after pitching out from behind the tree before birdieing next to go on one of Scheffler, with Taylor rolling in from 35 feet to join Spain in tied-second.

Nick Taylor mixed seven birdies with a single bogey during the final day

Taylor scrambled for par at the seventh and claimed second in his own when Rahm bogeyed the next, with the Canadian joining Scheffler in making a close-range birdie at the ninth to stay one behind at the turn.

Scheffler lost his immediate advantage when Taylor flicked a wedge at ten to three feet and made his fifth birdie of the round, while Rahm had to make a 20-footer just to save par at the next and stay within three of the lead.

Jon Rahm is chasing his third PGA Tour victory of the year

Taylor took advantage of the par-five 13th but found himself one behind when Scheffler drained a 30-foot eagle to reach the 18th, while Rahm made a birdie and then salvaged par at the 15th after almost holing from the drop zone.

Scheffler received relief from near the grandstand on the par-three 16th and recovered from the average chip to top the putt 15-feet for par, which was enough to extend the lead when Taylor failed to go up and down from the left side of the putting surface. .

Scottie Scheffler’s victory was his fifth PGA Tour title and first in 10 months

Another birdie on the driveable par-four 17th increased Scheffler’s cushion heading into the final hole, where his par was enough to claim his first victory of the season and make him the first player since Hideki Matsuyama to win the Phoenix Open. .

Taylor birdied the last to claim second solo and Rahm – one of three players who could end the week as world No 1 – finished third with a three-under 68, while four birdies in the last six holes lifted Justin Thomas to fourth place.

Jason Day’s back-to-back 68s at the weekend earned Australia a top-five finish and England’s Tyrrell Hatton was in the group again, while a hole-in-one on the par-three seventh from Rickie Fowler helped him. done in parts of ten in 10 in.

Scheffler is “proud” to be back No. 1

Scheffler’s successful title defense comes at the same venue where he won his breakthrough PGA Tour title 12 months ago, with his latest victory seeing him return to the world No 1 ranking held within 30 weeks of winning the last WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. March to defend the CJ Cup title succeeded McIlroy in October.

“I’m just proud of how I fought today,” Scheffler said. “I didn’t have the best stuff, but I grinded it out. I didn’t hit great tee shots, my irons weren’t sharp, but I played good golf today.

“I started building momentum early today and saw some putts go in, so I’m very thankful for the result. [returning to world No 1] it feels so good!”

What’s next?

The PGA Tour heads to California next for the Genesis Invitational, where 23 of the world’s top 25 and all the top players in the FedExCup standings will be at Riviera Country Club.

Tournament host Tiger Woods will headline the field as he makes his first official start since missing The Open in July, with the event marking his first non-major PGA Tour event since the Zozo Championship in October 2020.

Watch the Genesis Invitational all week live on Sky Sports. Preliminary coverage begins on Thursday at 2.30pm on Sky Sports Golf, before full coverage from 7pm.

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