Scottie Scheffler regained the No. 1 spot in the world rankings as he successfully defended his WM Phoenix Open title on Sunday at TPC Scottsdale. In breezy conditions on the firm and fast Stadium Course, Scheffler closed with a 6-under 65 to beat Nick Taylor by 2 strokes. The 26-year-old Texan will jump from second to first in the rankings, taking the top spot from Rory McIlroy with his fifth PGA Tour victory.

Eagle Putt Seals the Deal

Scheffler made a 22-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th to break a tie with Taylor. He then took a 2-shot lead on the par-3 16th with 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.”

Grinding It Out

Scheffler birdied the short par-4 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,” Scheffler said. “…just able to grind it out, make a lot of putts. I think I only had two bogeys this week, which is really, really good around this golf course.”

Big Money for Big Performance

He earned $3.6 million from the $20 million purse in the second of the PGA Tour’s new designated events. This purse was created in response to LIV Golf to bring the top tour players together more often. Scheffler is the seventh player to successfully defend a title in the tournament.

Challenging Conditions at WM Phoenix Open

The wind was a factor all week, with the large grandstands and spectator mounds making it difficult to judge. “The wind this week brought a new challenge that we hadn’t had around this golf course since I’ve been playing this tournament,” Scheffler said. “So, it was definitely a good challenge and was a fun week.”

Top Finishers

Justin Thomas was fourth at 13 under after a 65. Jason Day (68) followed at 12 under, and Jordan Spieth (70) was another stroke back with Sam Burns (68), Sungjae Im (69) and Tyrrell Hatton (69). Rickie Fowler was in the group at 10 under. McIlroy closed with a 70 to tie for 32nd at 4 under.

Rickie Fowler’s Hole-in-One

Rickie Fowler gave himself a moment to remember on Sunday in Scottsdale as he hit a hole-in-one on the seventh hole at the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. Fowler’s shot from 216 yards out took three hops before settling and rolling into the bottom of the cup – it was his third ace as a pro.

Brittney Griner Attends WM Phoenix Open

WNBA star Brittney Griner attended the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament on Saturday. It is believed to be her second public appearance since her release from a Russian prison. Griner was part of a crowd of about 200,000 fans at the tournament, watching the action from the stadium 16th hole.

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