Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is chasing first place
As Scottie Scheffler looks to defend his championship at the Phoenix Open this weekend, he also has his eye on climbing back to the top of the official golf world rankings.
Scheffler, currently at No. 2, has a chance to reclaim the top spot this week when he tees off at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona.
While he’s aware that rankings sometimes don’t correlate to who’s playing the best golf at any given time, Scheffler still wants to improve his positioning.
“It’s just one of those fun things. Right now I’m 2nd, but I wouldn’t say I play the second best golf in the world; I think Rory (McIlroy) and Jon (Rahm) are pretty much going head-to-head for playing the best golf in the world right now, so the rankings are fun,” Scheffler said. “It’s just an algorithm.
“You don’t get any extra trophies or anything like that if you have it for a short time, but it’s more a reflection of other things I’d say, but I don’t like being number two. I’d rather be number 1.”
McIlroy is currently ranked #1 while Rahm is ranked #3. Both compete alongside Scheffler in the field for the Phoenix Open, which begins on Thursday and ends on Sunday.
Scheffler, 26, won his first championship on the tour when he defeated Patrick Cantlay with a 16-under 268 at last year’s Phoenix Open. He’s since added three titles to his resume, including a win at the Masters in 2022, but Phoenix still holds a little extra meaning.
“It’s good to be back in Phoenix. I have a lot of good memories here. Of course it’s a special tournament for me to be my first win and it’s definitely a lot of fun to be back,” said Scheffler.
“As for this week, it’s exciting. This will be the second elevated event I’ve competed in this year so a great field this year and should be fun.”
With the chance to become the first golfer to win the event in consecutive years since Hideki Matsuyama in 2016-17, Scheffler looks forward to competing in front of a passionate crowd.
“The golf course is in great condition. The greens are always very firm and you have to deal with the environment here, but you have to accept it,” said Scheffler.
“It’s a lot of fun. I think it’s very special for us as players to be able to play in front of so many people a couple of times a year.”
