(Reuters) – Scottie Scheffler knocked Rory McIlroy off the top of the world rankings on Sunday after the Masters champion retained his Phoenix Open title in Arizona.
Scheffler carded a final round of six-under-par 65 for a 19 under total to claim his fifth PGA Tour title and regain the number one ranking he had held for 30 weeks until October.
Canada’s Nick Taylor also carded a final round of 65 to finish two strokes adrift.
“It feels pretty good,” Scheffler, 26, said. “I’m just proud of how I fought. I didn’t have my best stuff, but I grinded it out.
“Bad shots are going to come. You’re not going to play 72 holes of perfect golf. A lot of it is how you respond.”
Scheffler, who took the $3.6 million top prize, won his first PGA Tour title in Phoenix to kick off a run of four wins in six starts.
The American won his first major at Augusta National last April and was voted PGA Tour Player of the Year.
Spaniard Jon Rahm, who also had a chance to become number one with a win on Sunday, was third at 14-under after closing with a 68, while McIlroy carded a 70 to finish joint 32nd on four under for the tournament.
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
