Scottie Scheffler earned a fifth PGA Tour victory and first since The Masters with a profitable title protection at TPC Scottsdale; Rory McIlroy completed tied for thirty second and loses world number one rating for the primary time since October

Scottie Scheffler ended Rory McIlroy’s tenure on the prime of the world rankings after finishing a profitable title protection with a two-stroke win on the WM Phoenix Open.

Scheffler withstood a robust problem from enjoying companions Jon Rahm and Nick Taylor throughout an exhilarating remaining spherical at TPC Scottsdale, hitting a bogey-free 65 sufficient for the American to clinch a fifth PGA Tour title and his first since April.

The 26-year-old scored an eagle and 4 birdies to complete the week at 19-under and comfortably forward of his closest rival, Taylor, who made the ultimate birdie to match Scheffler’s final-round 65, with Rahm simply behind. 5 strokes off the chief in third place.

The victory sees Scheffler develop into the seventh participant to efficiently defend his title in Phoenix and strikes him to fifth within the FedExCup standings, and his newest success additionally means he’ll cross McIlroy, who completed the week tied for the highest spot. 32, as the #1 on this planet.

How Scheffler acquired again to world number one

Rahm and Taylor instantly halved Scheffler’s in a single day lead with birdies on the primary, just for the Masters champion to roll from 10 toes on the following par-four to revive his two-shot cushion.

Scheffler transformed from an identical distance on the third par-five to match his teammates’ birdies, together with from 20 toes off Rahm, then holed out an important par-save on the fifth after a poor first putt ran 10 toes past the outlet.

Rahm had accomplished an up and down from fifth fairway, after taking pictures from behind a tree earlier than birdieing the following to maneuver inside one in every of Scheffler, with Taylor rolling from 35 toes to affix the Spaniard in second.

Taylor made a par within the seventh and fell to second solely when Rahm bogeyed the following, and the Canadian joined Scheffler for a short-range birdie within the ninth to fall one again across the flip.

Scheffler misplaced his outright lead when Taylor drove a wedge within the tenth to a few toes and made a fifth birdie of the spherical, whereas Rahm needed to make a 20-foot shot solely to save lots of par on the following and stay three off the mark. benefit.

Taylor capitalized on the par-five on the thirteenth, however discovered himself one behind as Scheffler drained a 30-foot eagle to succeed in 18-under, whereas Rahm birdied after which salvaged a par on the fifteenth after practically holed out from the outlet zone. drop.

Scheffler obtained reduction close to the grandstand on the par-3 sixteenth gap and rallied from a mean chip to nail a 15-foot putt for par, which was sufficient to increase his lead when Taylor didn’t run up and down from the left of the floor. of the inexperienced .

One other birdie on the driveable par-4 17 prolonged Scheffler’s cushion heading to the ultimate gap, the place a par was sufficient to assert his first win of the season and make him the primary participant since Hideki Matsuyama to report back-to-back Phoenix Open victories. .

Taylor birdied the latter to assert second place alone and Rahm, one in every of three gamers who might finish the week as world No. 1, completed third with a three-under-par 68 whereas birding 4 within the final six. holes moved Justin Thomas as much as fourth.

Jason Day’s straight 68 over the weekend gave the Aussie a top-five end and England’s Tyrrell Hatton was a shot additional again within the group, whereas a hole-in-one at Rickie Fowler’s par-3 seventh helped. he’ll end at odds of tenth in 10 below.

Scheffler “proud” to return to No 1

Scheffler’s profitable title protection is available in the identical place the place he made his PGA Tour title breakthrough 12 months in the past, and the most recent win noticed him return to the No. 1 world rating he held for 30 weeks since his final win at WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play. He marches on to McIlroy’s profitable CJ Cup title protection in October.

“I am pleased with how I fought right this moment,” Scheffler stated. “I did not have my finest stuff, however I did it. I wasn’t hitting properly off the tee, my irons did not really feel as sharp, however I performed an incredible spherical of golf right this moment.”

“I began constructing some momentum early right this moment and noticed some putts go in, so I am very grateful with the end result. [returning to world No 1] it feels superb!”

Whats Subsequent?

The PGA Tour heads to California subsequent for the Genesis Invitational, the place 23 of the world’s prime 25 and all the main gamers within the FedExCup rankings will carry out on the Riviera Nation Membership.

Event host Tiger Woods will headline the sphere when he makes his first official begin since lacking the minimize at The Open in July, marking his first look at a non-major PGA Tour occasion because the Zozo Championship in October 2020. .

Watch the Genesis Invitational all week lengthy stay on Sky Sports activities. Early protection begins Thursday from 2:30pm on Sky Sports activities Golf, earlier than full protection from 7pm