Phoenix Open: Scottie Scheffler claims maiden PGA Tour title after play-off win over Patrick Cantlay | Golf News

Scheffler birdies the third play-off hole to defeat Cantlay, after both players finish on 16 under at TPC Scottsdale; Overnight leader Sahith Theegala claims a share of third alongside Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka

Scottie Scheffler secured a maiden PGA Tour title

Scottie Scheffler snatched a maiden PGA Tour title after coming through a dramatic play-off against Patrick Cantlay to win the WM Phoenix Open.

Scheffler made four birdies in a five-hole stretch on his back nine but missed an opportunity on his final hole to win the title in regulation at TPC Scottsdale, with a four-under 67 seeing him finish on 16 under alongside FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay.

The pair both made two-putt pars on the first extra hole and scrambled to exchange pars on the next, before Scheffler drained a 25-foot birdie on the third play-off hole to secure a long-awaited victory.

Overnight leader Sahith Theegala had held off the chasing pack until an unfortunate break off the 71st tee saw his ball finish in the water and lead to a bogey, leaving him to end the week tied-third alongside Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele.

Theegala’s tied-third finish is the best of his short PGA Tour career

Theegala’s overnight advantage quickly disappeared when Scheffler followed a 20-foot birdie at the second by taking advantage of the par-five next, only for the young American to reclaim the solo lead with a birdie at the par-three fourth.

A two-shot swing at the fifth saw Theegala register a second successive birdie and Scheffler drop a shot, briefly extending the advantage to three, before Cantlay – playing in the group ahead – reduced the deficit when he picked up a shot at the sixth to move to 14 under.

Cantlay narrowly missed out on a first win of 2022

Theegala bogeyed the seventh and lost his outright advantage when Cantlay made a tap-in birdie at the ninth, with the world No 318 then responding to his failure to get up and down from the greenside bunker at the 11th by holing a 20-foot birdie at the next to reclaim a share of the lead.

Cantlay edged back ahead with a two-putt birdie at the par-five 15th, only to find himself level again when Theegala produced a superb up and down from the sand to set up a close-range birdie on the same hole.

Theegala found water off the penultimate tee on his way to a costly bogey and Cantlay wasted birdie chances over his final two holes, as Scheffler followed three consecutive birdies from the 13th by adding another at the driveable 17th to jump to 16 under.

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Sahith Theegala’s hopes of a maiden PGA Tour victory at the WM Phoenix Open were hampered after a nightmare break off the penultimate tee saw his ball finish in the hazard.

Scheffler had a glorious chance to snatch victory in regulation but missed his six-foot birdie try on the 72nd hole, with the 25-year-old then matching Cantlay’s par on the first extra hole and getting up and down from off the green to salvage another par on the next.

The world No 15 found the fairway bunker off the tee on the third extra hole but knocked his approach to 25 feet and nailed the birdie putt, which was enough for victory when Cantlay failed to convert his effort from several feet closer.

More to follow…