Scheffler shares runner-up with closing 63, McIlroy cards 64 despite bothersome right elbow

HOUSTON — Two favorites to contend at the Masters Tournament made emphatic statements Sunday at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

Scottie Scheffler shot 63. Rory McIlroy shot 64. Both finished inside the top five in their last starts before the Masters Tournament.

“I liked the way my swing started to feel over the weekend,” said Scheffler, the defending Masters champion who led the tournament after 36 holes. He tied for second at 19-under, his second consecutive runner-up finish at Memorial Park Golf Course, after a furious rally that included four straight birdies for a back-nine 30.

“I felt like I holed a good amount of putts this week, especially under pressure on the back nine today,” Scheffler said.

He converted 15 of 17 scrambling opportunities, best in the tournament. He finished sixth in Strokes Gained: Putting, gaining more than seven strokes on the field.

“I feel like I can still clean up a few things in my swing,” Scheffler said. “My ball-striking wasn’t as sharp as I would have like it to have been this week.”

The Texas Children’s represented Scheffler’s best finish in 2025, a season delayed by a hand injury he suffered in December that required surgery. He said he plans to work with his lifelong teacher, Randy Smith, and practice at home in Dallas until the Masters, which he’s won twice.

Twice happens to be how many times McIlroy has won this young season, and his form Sunday looked tidy and tight, primed for another attempt to win his first Masters and complete the career Grand Slam. He bookended the round with bogeys, his only two, and improved his score in every round.

McIlroy mounted a charge on the par-4 fifth that, when it concluded seven holes later, amounted to eight consecutive 3s on his card. The rally included four birdies and an eagle.

McIlroy said he decreased the loft on his driver Saturday and was able to control his tee shots better in the wind. It led to a final-round 64 despite a bothersome right elbow; he told NBC’s Kira Dixon afterward that he may get treatment in the coming days before the Masters.

“It was a solid week,” said McIlroy, who shared fifth at 15-under after rounds of 70-66-65-64.

“Still feel like I’ve got some stuff to work on,” he continued, noting that he planned to see his instructor Monday at home. “We’ll be working at home and making sure the game feels good going into the Masters.”