Scheffler defends his title
Scottie Scheff ler successfully defended his WM Phoenix Open title Sunday at TPC Scottsdale to regain the No. 1 spot in the world.
Scheffler closed with a six-under-par 65 to beat Nick Taylor by two strokes on the Stadium Course. The 26-year-old Texan took the No. 1 ranking from Rory McIlroy with his fifth PGA Tour victory.
Last year, Scheffler won Phoenix for his first career title, then quickly added three more wins, including the Masters.
Scheffler made a 22-foot eagle putt on the par-five 13th to break a tie with Taylor, then took a two-shot lead on the par-three 16th when he rolled in a 15-footer for par after hitting his tee shot far left on the stadium hole.
“I was just trying to hit a solid putt,” Scheffler said about the putt on 16. “In those situations that’s really all you can do. So, when I’m standing over that ball, all I’m thinking about is the speed. I had my line.”
Scheffler birdied the short par-four 17th and closed with a par to finish at 19-under 265.
“I hit some wild shots off the tee that were pretty uncharacteristic for how I usually shape the ball,” Scheff ler said. “I was just able to grind it out, make a lot of putts.”
He earned $3.6 million from the $20-million purse in the second of the PGA Tour’s new designated events to bring the top tour players together more often.
Taylor also finished with a 65. He bogeyed the 16th, missing a seven-footer after Scheffler holed his par putt.
Jon Rahm, who opened the year with consecutive victories in Hawaii and the California desert, was third at 14 under after a 68. He also was in position to take the No. 1 spot with a victory. Justin Thomas was fourth at 13 under after a 65. McIlroy tied for 32nd at four under.
Strydom rallies for Singapore win
South Africa’s Ockie Strydom shot nine-under 63 and rallied for a one-shot victory over Sami Valimaki of Finland in the Singapore Classic on the European Tour.
Strydom had the low round of the day at Laguna National Golf Resort Club and finished at 19-under 269 for his second win on the European Tour. He won the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa in December.
Elsewhere
Rhein Gibson of Australia closed with a seven-under 64 and won the Astara Golf Championship by four shots on the Korn Ferry Tour at Bogota, Colombia . ... Takumi Kanaya of Japan closed with a one-under 71 for a four-shot victory in the International Series Oman on the Asian Tour . ... Michael Hendry closed with an evenpar 72 to finish off a four-shot victory in the Vic Open at Barwon Heads, Australia. Jiyai Shin shot 71 for a fiveshot victory in the women’s portion of the event on the same course.