Scottie Scheffler notched his first career PGA Tour victory, a three-hole playoff triumph over fellow Ryder Cupper Patrick Cantlay on Sunday at the WM Phoenix Open.
And the breakthrough win came with another first: a spot in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
The 25-year-old Scheffler, a former U.S. Junior Amateur champion and All-American at the University of Texas, was destined to be one of the top pro golfers in the world, and now he has moved up to a career-best ninth. That is an improvement of six spots from Scheffler’s previous-week ranking of 15th, and it bumped Cameron Smith from ninth to 11th.
Asked about the significance of his win, Scheffler was characteristically modest. He said he never really thought about when that maiden title would come.
“For me, I just like trying to improve,” Scheffler said. “I like trying to get better. I like playing golf out here. It’s fun for me. I feel like it’s where I’m meant to be. So, for me I’m just trying to prepare and get ready. The only time I really think about it is when you guys ask me these kind of questions.”
As for Cantlay, he swapped places with Viktor Hovland, going from fourth to third. Brooks Koepka, who earlier in the week said he was embarrassed to be ranked 20th in the world rankings, tied for third and climbed five spots to No. 15.
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