He made a 25-foot birdie shot that was just enough momentum to make it in.
Scheffler missed his putt and Cantlay missed a birdie attempt of 11 feet.
Scheffler birdied four holes of the last six for a 4-under score of 67. This was to match Cantlay’s 16-under 268 at TPC Scottsdale, on another sunny 80-degree day. Scheffler was playing ahead of Cantlay and had a bogeyless 67.
Scheffler made it through his 71st PGA Tour debut. The 25-year-old former University of Texas student star had his biggest professional achievements before Sunday. He beat Jon Rahm in September’s United States Ryder Cup win at Whistling Straits. He also shot a 59 in 2020 Northern Trust.
Scheffler and Cantlay were matched at par on the two extra trips down 18. Both players hit the fairway and green first, and then scrambled to save par the second time.
Scheffler missed an opportunity to end the match in regulation after his 5 1/2-foot birdie attempt went wrong. Scheffler missed a par-3 hole at the stadium. He was 2 inches too short.
Scheffler, nine strokes behind the leader Sahith Theegala when he entered the weekend, shot a 62 Saturday to be within two strokes and make it into the last group. Scheffler played 12 holes at even par Sunday with four birdies, four bogeys and one retort.
Fourth-ranked Cantlay was making a debut in the event. He added it to his calendar because he thought it would be easier for him to play three weeks straight instead of driving back and forth between his two favorite California events.
FedEx Cup champion, he almost won with his third win in six starts. He missed a birdie putt of 9 feet on the 18th regulation.
Theegala, the rookie who led into the day, fell to third with a bogey at the par-4 17th. He had driven left into the water and lost a part of the top spot. Brooks Koepka (69), and Xander Schauffele 68 tied for third at 15 over.
EUROPEAN TOUR
RAS AL KHAIMAH (UAE) — Ryan Fox, New Zealand, overcame a rough start to win the Ras Al Khaimah Classic by closing with a 3-under 69.
Fox opened with a score of 63. He held a six shot lead through the final round at Al Hamra Golf Club. This was his first win in Europe. He won his second European tour title and first in stroke play. He was also the winner of the ISPS Handa Super 6 tournament, which concluded in six-hole elimination matches.
Fox has previously won twice on Fox’s Challenge Tour, and twice on Fox’s PGA Tour of Australasia.
Ross Fisher finished second with a 66.
After the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, it was the second consecutive European tour event at Al Hamra. This event filled the void left by the Qatar Masters being postponed due to travel restrictions.
KORN FERRY TOUR
BOGOTA (COLOMBIA) — Brandon Matthew won the last three holes of the Astara Golf Championship by shooting 4-under par. He also made eagle on hole 13.
Matthews was one shot ahead Ryan McCormick who birdied 18th for a score of 66 and Ben Griffin who had a score of 68.
Matthews finished at 19-under 264, and won the Korn Ferry Tour for the first time. Matthews had won the PGA Tour Latinoamerica each year in the past two years.
His kindness at the Argentina Open in fall 2019 is what he will be remembered most for, when a Down syndrome fan made a distracting sound and Matthews lost. Matthews clarified that it wasn’t the fan’s fault, and gave him a signed glove. Matthews’ gesture attracted the attention of Arnold Palmer Invitational who granted him a sponsor exemption.
Matthew moves up to the top of points with the win. The top 25 finishers at the end earn PGA Tour cards.
After two weeks in Panama, Colombia and Panama, the Korn Ferry Tour will travel to Florida next week.
OTHER TOURS
Hannah Green, a former Women’s PGA champion, won the women’s section of the Vic Open by six strokes after closing with a 1-under 71. Dimitros Papadatos won Dimitros’ tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. He also secured one of three spots at the British Open this year. Mixed groups play in the Vic Open, which features both men’s and ladies’ tournaments at 13th Beach Golf Links. Matthew Griffin and Ben Campbell also secured places at St. Andrews. After the New Zealand Open was cancelled, the Vic Open received the qualifying spots. Alexander Knappe, from Germany, won the final round with a 4-under-68 score. He defeated Dean Burmester in South Africa’s Dimension Data Pro-Am. The Challenge Tour and the Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned the tournament. … Esther Henseleit, a German woman, won the Magical Kenya Ladies Open. She closed with a 2-under 70 to win by one over Marta Sanz Barrio, a Spaniard on the Ladies European Tour.
