PGA Tour stock up, stock down after Scottie Scheffler notches first win at WM Phoenix Open

Taking a microscope to the PGA Tour power rankings to see whose stock is rising and whose is going down after Scottie Scheffler’s WM Phoenix Open win.

Coming into the 2021-22 PGA Tour season, there were obvious narratives to follow regarding the top players in the world like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, and so on. But one of the sleeper stories of the year was whether or not Scottie Scheffler could get over the hump and actually get a win, something that had eluded him prior to the WM Phoenix Open.

After a trip to the party in the desert, though, the narrative has changed.

It’s interesting that Scheffler, who beat Patrick Cantlay on the third playoff hole to win the tournament, got his first career victory when it didn’t seem like he was in a spot to do so. Sitting at 3-under after Friday to make the cut, he then fired off a 9-under 62 on Saturday, fought off some early slip-ups on Sunday and came through like a banshee on the back-nine to win. Hell, even winning in the playoff after missing a five-foot putt on the 18th hole that would’ve meant a 72-hole win seemed like it was trending towards another near miss.

But he got the job done and is now a PGA Tour winner. He’s obviously trending up, but who else joins him in the golf power rankings in that regard? Just as importantly, whose form is trending in the opposite direction? Let’s get into the mix.

PGA Tour power rankings: Stock up after WM Phoenix Open

Sahith Theegala – The 36-hole and 54-hole outright leader who came up short is trending up? Absolutely. If you argue that, you didn’t watch Sahith Theegala this week. The first piece of evidence is his tearful embrace with his parents after missing the playoff by a single stroke.

Not only did the rookie get himself into contention and then show the wherewithal to stay there, but he also endeared himself to the fans. The big crowds were full-throated behind Theegala this week and, with a game that I and many others have been fans of already, this could’ve been the beginning of another young star emerging.

Scottie Scheffler – Okay, we’ll get to the actual winner this week, I guess.

People have been waiting for Scheffler to get the win that he’s clearly always been talented enough to capture but had kept falling short of. The big issue was that, as easy he can shoot a 62 on Saturday or the 59 he shot at The Northern Trust a couple of years ago, he can just as easily be mundane and remove himself from contention. That was the biggest positive from this week; he had the opportunity to do that again on Sunday but fought back in marvelous fashion, which led to him snatching the victory.

Patrick Cantlay – How good is Cantlay right now? Let’s just recap his last six starts: Won BMW Championship, won TOUR Championship, fourth at Tournament of Champions, ninth at The American Express, T-4 at Pebble and now a playoff loss at the WM Phoenix Open.

You probably couldn’t point out one particular moment from Cantlay this week that stood out, but that’s kind of who he is. He’s a silent assassin that just always finds himself in a spot where he could win. With the schedule now ramping up, it’s a matter of time before he wins again.

Talor Gooch – Gooch, unfortunately, ejected a bit on Sunday with a 75 in the final round that dropped him outside of the top 20. With that said, he still put himself in the mix for 54 holes at a course where he’s not played well in his previous starts. This goes to show that the Oklahoma State product is really coming into his own and has continued to make strides and improvements of late. He very much has the look of someone who could become a staple on leaderboards.

PGA Tour power rankings: Stock down after WM Phoenix Open

Charley Hoffman – Okay, so the easiest place to start is the fact that Hoffman made the cut then promptly ejected from the tournament to finish 67th, in dead last among those who made the cut. That’s not good to begin with.

But Hoffman’s stock is going down after he threatened the PGA Tour with an Instagram post about rules regarding a drop that cost him strokes by talking about players leaving for the Saudi Golf League or other pop-up tours. That’s an awful look, especially for a player who finished in the position he did. Thankfully, most people dragged Hoffman for such a bad take.

Tony Finau – We haven’t seen the best golf as of late from Tony Finau but the hope was that a tournament such as this one, a place he’s enjoyed success historically, would help him get right. Instead, he was even-par over two rounds and missed the cut. Something’s not right with Finau and, if he wants to compete at the level we all know he’s capable of, then he needs to go into the lab and diagnose his issue right now (maybe start with being 68th in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green).

Jordan Spieth – Spieth made the cut, unlike Finau, but there was nothing all that impressive about his week. After he contended at Pebble Beach last week, the hope was that the always entertaining and enigmatic star would be about to go on a similar-type run to the one he did this time last year. But to see him bleed strokes around the green and on the putting surface was so jarring that it’s hard not to be at least a little worried about this.

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