Scheffler leads Phoenix field by two; Tiger sets return
Tiger Woods, here playing in the PNC tournament last December, will gun for the genesis crown.—USA TODAY
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona—Scottie Scheffler put an end to a long day in the desert with a three-under-par 68 on Saturday as he takes a two-shot lead over Nick Taylor and Jon Rahm into the final round of the WM Phoenix Open and becomes just the seventh player to successfully defend his title.
“I haven’t been thinking about it too much,” Scheffler, who has a 54-hole 200 aggregate, said of the title defense. “I’m in position now. Something I talked about at the beginning of the week was I felt like I’ve been on the outside looking in on Sundays.
“To be in the final group with a two-shot lead, I believe, is definitely a position I want to be in. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Taylor fired a 67 and Rahm opened with a bogey but was able to rescue a 68 even as Jordan Spieth and Adam Hadwin are another stroke back after a 69 and 71, respectively.
After dropping a shot at No. 1, Rahm played clean golf the rest of the way, adding four birdies.
“To be even par through 11 was challenging. I had to dig deep to make a few putts and keep the round going,” Rahm said. “The few birdie putts that I had I didn’t really take advantage of. I had plenty of them. In that stretch of 2, 3 and 4 I wish I would have gotten a couple more than I did.”
Taylor has never cracked the top 40 in eight previous Phoenix Open starts but now he’s shooting for win No. 3 on tour.
“I’m just going to have to do my own thing tomorrow,” Taylor said. “Easier said than done. But if I keep playing like I have been playing I think I’ll have a decent chance coming down the stretch.”
Meanwhile, tournament host Tiger Woods has committed to playing next week’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, which will mark his first non-major Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) Tour start since October 2020.
Woods, who returned to competition last year on a limited basis following a 2021 car crash that required emergency surgery that still hampers his ability to walk, announced his return to action with a short Twitter post on Friday.
“I’m ready to play an ACTUAL PGA Tour event next week,” Woods wrote.
The Genesis Invitational, which is run by Woods’ foundation, is scheduled for Feb. 16 to Feb. 19. —Reuters
