Scottie Scheffler is world’s best, Rickie Fowler still causing a roar – 5 things we learned at WM Phoenix Open

Scheffler is the best in the world – it’s official

The Texas native returned to TPC Scottsdale as the defending champion after getting the better of Patrick Cantlay in a play-off last year, but he wouldn’t need extra holes to get over the line this time round.

Scottie Scheffler closed with a six-under 65 to finish on 19-under-par and win by two from Canada’s Nick Taylor, with World No. 3 Jon Rahm, three shots further adrift in third.

It’s the fifth PGA Tour win of the 26-year-old’s career, where he banked a cool $3.6 million in winnings thanks to the event’s new ‘elevated’ status. It was his first victory since The Masters last April but notably however, the victory in Phoenix lifted him back on top of the world rankings to supplant Rory McIlroy for the first time since October. The same McIlroy who, in his pre-tournament presser, delivered a short and sharp answer of “Yes” to the question, “Do you feel like you’re the best player in the world right now?”

Reflecting on his win, Scheffler said: “It’s definitely good to get a first win of the year, I’ve given myself a decent chance a few times, so it’s definitely a lot of fun to kind of get this one done, especially in the fashion that I did it, with those guys both playing great golf.

“Me just kind of being able to extend myself there a little bit at the end and make some key putts was definitely a lot of fun.”

With last year’s victory in Phoenix kick-starting a remarkable run which included four wins in six starts, culminating in his maiden major triumph, keep your eyes peeled to see if Scheffler will go on a similar run this season.

Phoenix fans create their own entertainment

We’ve come to expect everything and more from TPC Scottsdale’s famous 16th thanks to the boisterous crowds that descend into the coliseum, which can hold up to 17,000. This year was no exception.

Last year captured the attention of many due to multiple weather delays in the form of beer showers as fans launched bottles and cans onto the hole to celebrate holes-in-one and topless antics, but despite bottles being banned from the hole this year, it didn’t stop the fans from coming up with a new form of fun.

Let the battle of the beer snakes commence.

While they may not have had any hole-in-ones to celebrate this year, the competition was fierce in the stands as groups battled it out to create the largest snake. As fans yelled ‘For the snake!” drinks were getting chugged for the greater goal of capturing top honours for their team’s snake.

The Waste Management Phoenix Open is promoted as “The People’s Open,” and it certainly delivered on that promise.

X-rated entertainment

With the battle of the beer snakes taking place in the stands, one individual sought for the limelight to be on himself as he stripped down to his underwear to go and have a run about down 16 and 17.

Egged on by the booze-fuelled crowds, he made it onto the famous 16th green, charging up to the pin where he gave a quick pole dance before running round the putting surface some more, waving his hands as he tried to increase the decibel counter.

As his mullet waved in the wind running down 17 with security officials in hot pursuit, the pond was in sight, and yes you know where this is going.

Slowing up as he got to the edge, he made a giant leap, starfished out and executed a quite sublime belly flop into the water.

It would be the security and police who got the last laugh however as he was swiftly taken away not long after.

Rickie still causing a roar

It has been a well documented tough few years for Rickie Fowler on the golf course but the fan favourite has been showing some flickerings of form recently with a host of decent performances.

Coming back to the site of his last victory, the 34-year-old was aiming for similar success and despite failing to hoist the trophy on Sunday, he had reason to celebrate on the par-3 7th hole.

With 216 yards between himself and the hole, Fowler launched a 6-iron on a tasty looking line towards the pin. With a couple of hops on landing and a perfect roll, the ball found the bottom of the cup to send the crowd wild and commence high fives back on the tee.

At the time, he leapt up to 11-under for the tournament and was within four strokes of leader Scheffler but consecutive bogeys followed and eventually he had to settle for a share of 10th place – his third top 10 of the season.

Even when things are bad, Homa still makes it look good

The American is one of the hottest players on the planet right now, thanks to a recent victory at the Farmers Insurance to add to his earlier Fortinet Championship success, but it would be his uncharacteristic hot headedness that would get the better of him during the final day’s play at TPC Scottsdale.

The six-time PGA Tour winner struggled to get anything going during the weekend which likely added some frustration to Max Homa’s inner psyche, all of which came to a head when he found himself in the sand on the 6th.

Still having a good opportunity for a crack at the green, Homa let fly only for his ball to catch the lip of the bunker and travel 100 yards, leaving himself well short of the dance floor.

Understandably Homa wasn’t happy with what had just transpired and in a fit of rage, launched his 7-iron impeccably in true ‘Happy Gilmore’ style, with many taking to social media saying that he was “one of us” as amateurs all over the world could relate to what they had just witnessed.

Later, Homa responded to the clip on Twitter saying “Can’t look less cool if I tried”, clearly a tad embarrassed by his antics, before receiving a response from the notoriously ‘angry’ English golfer, Tyrrell Hatton, fielding a tongue in cheek question, “Maybe we can have fairway bunker lessons together but I’ll show you how to throw a club properly at the end of it?”