WiretoWire: Scottie Scheffler super in Scottsdale

Scottie Scheffler defends his WM Phoenix Open crown

Scottie Scheffler was super on Sunday, as the reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year shot a final-round 65 at TPC Scottsdale to get back in the winner’s circle at the place where it all began. Scheffler earned his first PGA TOUR victory at last year’s WM Phoenix Open, kicking off a torrid stretch that saw him win four times in six starts. It culminated with his first major triumph at last April’s Masters Tournament. Scheffler had not won since leaving Augusta National, however. That ended Sunday when he successfully defended his title in the WM Phoenix Open, becoming just the third player in the last 50 years to win back-to-back WM Phoenix Opens (Hideki Matsuyama, 2016-17; Johnny Miller, 1974-75). Scheffler, who led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green, finished at 19-under 265, two shots ahead of runner-up Nick Taylor. FedExCup leader Jon Rahm tied for third at 14-under par and Justin Thomas finished fourth. It was a leaderboard befitting the PGA TOUR’s most populous event, an elevated $20 million purse and field that featured 22 of the top 25 players in the world. Scheffler moved to fifth in the FedExCup with his fifth PGA TOUR victory and returned to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, a position he held for 30 weeks last year. He also earned $3.6 million for the victory. Scheffler, who started Sunday with a two-shot lead, found himself tied with Nick Taylor when they reached the 13th hole. Scheffler took the lead for good, however, by making a 22-foot eagle putt on that par-5. Just as clutch was the 15-foot par putt Scheffler sank on the TOUR’s wildest stage, TPC Scottsdale’s par-3 16th. That gave him a two-shot lead with two holes remaining.“I’m just proud of how I fought today,” said Scheffler, who hit just five fairways in the final round. “I grinded it out today.”

The TOUR heads to Riviera

Tournament host Tiger Woods will be making his first official PGA TOUR start since last July at The Genesis Invitational. The field includes 23 of the top 25 players in the world, led by Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Scottie Scheffler who travels to California fresh off his win in Phoenix. For the second week in a row the TOUR will host a designated event and the 30 top players in the FedExCup standings will tee it up in Los Angeles. Besides Woods, other golfers with California connections in the field include Max Homa and last season’s runner-up Collin Morikawa. Marcus Byrd, APGA TOUR standout and Justin Suh, 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year, will be playing on exemptions. The last time Woods played a non-major on the PGA TOUR was THE ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in October 2020. This will mark the 60th time that The Riviera Country Club, a George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell design, will host The Genesis Invitational. The winner at Genesis will take home 550 FedExCup points.

MIC CHECK

“I’m stoked to see him back out there, he’s always remarkable. You never know what he’s going to do. It will be fun to watch him play some golf.” - Max Homa on Tiger Woods’ return to PGA TOUR action this week.

BY THE NUMBERS

5 - Stephen Ames went wire-to-wire to win the Trophy Hassan II by five shots in Morocco on PGA TOUR Champions.

2 - Rhein Gibson claimed his second Korn Ferry Tour title with a win at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard. A final-round 7-under 64 gave Gibson a four-shot victory over Kevin Dougherty.

COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10

The Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.