La Quinta, January 26
Sahith Theegala capped a strong week with a flawless closing round to secure his first top-10 finish in more than a year, while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler once again underlined his dominance by cruising to a four-shot victory at The American Express.
Theegala signed for a bogey-free 7-under 65 on the final day, climbing steadily up the leaderboard to finish tied eighth at 21-under par. The result marked his first top-10 on the PGA TOUR since the 2024 Tour Championship and offered a timely boost after a frustrating 2025 season hampered by injuries.
The Indian-origin American's performance was particularly notable given his slow start to the week. An opening-round 1-under 71 left him languishing in a share of 118th place, but he responded emphatically over the next three days. Rounds of 64, 67 and 65 followed, with Theegala producing two bogey-free efforts along the way to mount a remarkable comeback.
On Sunday, Theegala was in complete control, picking up three birdies on the front nine before adding four more on the back. He finished strongly, birdieing two of his final three holes to underline his renewed confidence and consistency. Though he ended six shots behind the winner, the week signalled an encouraging return to form.
Meanwhile, Akshay Bhatia and Sudarshan Yellamaraju, the other players of Indian origin in the field, missed the cut.
In contrast, it was another familiar story at the top of the leaderboard, where Scheffler once again proved untouchable. Starting the final round two shots off the lead, the world No. 1 unleashed a barrage of birdies, carding nine in all on his way to a 6-under 66 and a four-shot victory at 27-under par.
Scheffler's round was not without blemishes -- an early bogey and a late double bogey briefly threatened to interrupt his momentum -- but his relentless scoring ensured he always remained in command. A blistering stretch of four birdies in six holes on the front nine saw him surge past overnight leader Si Woo Kim and teenage sensation Blades Brown, opening up a lead that stretched to six shots late in the round.
He eventually finished four clear of Jason Day (64), Ryan Gerard (65), Matt McCarty (68) and Andrew Putnam (68), continuing a trend of emphatic victories. Nine of Scheffler's 20 PGA TOUR wins have now come by margins of four shots or more.
The victory was the 20th of Scheffler's PGA TOUR career, all achieved within the last four years, earning him lifetime membership on Tour. In doing so, he joined the elite company of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to record 20 PGA TOUR titles and four major championships before the age of 30.
Teenager Blades Brown, who captured plenty of attention throughout the week, briefly threatened on Sunday but faded as Scheffler shifted into overdrive.
Scheffler now takes a short break before returning to action at the WM Phoenix Open, where his remarkable run on the PGA TOUR began four years ago.
- ANI
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