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Scottie Scheffler, the world’s number one golfer, fell short of clinching victory for the third consecutive time at the Phoenix Open in Arizona. The American finished the tournament in 3rd place with a score of 266 (-18), while the title went to Canadian Nick Taylor (60 70 68 65), who managed to edge out Charley Hoffman (67 68 64 64) with a birdie on the second hole of the playoff.
Both Taylor and Hoffman had completed the 72 regulation holes with a total of 263 (-21) strokes, but it was Taylor’s exceptional play during the playoff that made the difference.
Scottie Scheffler, results
At the TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course, par 71), the 35-year-old from Winnipeg, Manitoba celebrated his fourth career title on the PGA Tour, where he has competed in 260 events.
Fifty-six years after the last Canadian victory (George Knudson in 1968), Taylor became the first Canadian to triumph at the Phoenix Open. This remarkable achievement propelled Taylor from 55th to 28th in the world rankings and from 57th to 6th in the FedEx Cup standings.
His performance earned him $1,584,000 from a total prize pool of $8,800,000. Furthermore, Taylor equaled the course record with an impressive first-round score of 60 (-11) strokes. There was some regret for Hoffman, a 47-year-old from San Diego with 495 appearances on the PGA Tour, who had hoped to become the oldest winner on the circuit since Phil Mickelson’s victory at the PGA Championship 2021 at the age of 50 years, 11 months, and 7 days.
With little time to catch his breath, the PGA Tour will return to the spotlight from February 15th to 18th in California with the Genesis Invitational, marking the highly anticipated comeback of Tiger Woods. Scott Alexander Scheffler, born on June 21, 1996, is an American professional golfer competing on the PGA Tour.
Currently ranked as the world number one, he first achieved this position in the Official World Golf Ranking in March 2022 and has maintained it for over 50 weeks. Scheffler’s notable victories include the 2022 Masters Tournament, where he secured his first major championship title, and the 2023 Players Championship.
Early Life: Scheffler was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, on June 21, 1996. His father, Scott, grew up in Englewood Cliffs and attended St. Cecilia High School in Englewood, while his mother, Diane, grew up in Park Ridge. Among his four siblings, Scheffler is the only boy, with sisters named Callie, Molly, and Sara.
The family resided in Montvale, New Jersey, until Scheffler was six years old, when they relocated to Dallas, Texas, following the September 11 attacks. During his upbringing, Scheffler’s father served as a stay-at-home parent, while his mother held the position of Chief Operating Officer at the law firm Thompson & Knight.
