Scheffler's Masters odds shorten as Gotterup wins in Phoenix

Scottie Scheffler is now an even shorter odds favourite to win the Masters for the third time after he rallied to finish joint third behind play-off winner Chris Gotterup in the WM Phoenix Open.

After opening with a two-over 73 in Phoenix, the world number one closed with a seven under 64 to finish just a shot outside a play-off that saw Gotterup edge out a wayward Hideki Matsuyama for his fourth career win and his second in the space of three weeks.

Big-hitting Gotterup, who followed his win in the Genesis Scottish Open last year with victory in the season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii, is still rated just a 40-1 chance to slip into the green jacket in April.

But Scheffler, who was still far from his best in his win in the American Express or in his late title run at TPC

Scottsdale, is now as short as 11/4, while reigning champion Rory McIlroy is the 8/1 second favourite.

“I’m not going to nitpick too many 64s,” said Scheffler, who will get the chance to compare his game with McIlroy and the rest in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week and next week’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera, the first two of this season’s signature events.

“String together a few more of those. If you want to nitpick, let’s look a little bit further back in the week.”

Ludvig Aberg, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele and Justin Rose complete the list of betting favourites for Augusta ahead of Matsuyama and Qatar Masters winner Patrick Reed.

As for Gotterup, he’s rated a less-likely Masters winner than Shane Lowry, but he’s high on confidence after he closed with a seven-under 64 to set the target at 16 under, only for Matsuyama to come back at him with a bogey at the last.

The Japanese star hit just 25 of 56 fairways and only three in the final round, where a drive into sand at the 72nd, and another into the lake at the first extra hole, proved crucial.

“Was grinding all weekend,” the 2021 Masters champion said. “Didn't have my best stuff, but hung in there.

“I wanted to avoid the playoff as much as I could, but I just hit a bad tee shot there in regulation at 18 and Chris made a good putt there in the play-off.”

Gotterup,who was third behind Scheffler in The Open at Royal Portrush, has now won in three of his last 11 starts and jumped from 16th to fifth in the world.

“I knew I needed to birdie 18, and I had some, let’s say, maybe a little luck involved in that shot,” he said of his nine-birdie final round and the wedge from the rough that ran up to three feet at the 72nd hole.

“But to come out on top and do it the way I did in the play-off was awesome.”

He made a 27-footer for birdie to win in sudden-death, but Scheffler’s Sunday rally reminded everyone that he’s the man to beat this year.

According to statistics expert Justin Ray, he’s shot more rounds of 64 or better than anyone on the PGA Tour over the past five years — 35 compared to 22 for Justin Thomas and 21 for Ben Griffin and Xander Schauffele.

His 17th consecutive top 10 finish is also the longest streak on the PGA Tour since Billy Casper also had 17 in a row in 1964-65.

McIlroy defends the Pebble Beach Pro-Am title this week after holding off Lowry down the stretch last year.

But while the DP World Tour take a break, LPGA-bound Lauren Walsh joins Anna Foster at the opening Ladies European Tour event, the PIF Saudi Ladies International at Riyadh Golf Club.

The HotelPlanner Tour remains in South Africa for the NTT DATA Pro-Am at Fancourt Golf Estate, where Gary Hurley joins Conor Purcell, Max Kennedy and Liam Nolan.

The West Waterford man (33) is full of confidence after he finished ninth on Sunday in the CIRCA Cape Town Open in just his second start after a year out with a career-threatening shoulder injury.

“I’m very happy with my application the last month or so to get my game and my body to a place where I felt I could compete and contend,” said Hurley, who suffers from Parsonage-Turner Syndrome.

“My shoulder is still very weak and compromised and will never be 100pc again, but I’ve no pain, and it’s slowly improving each month thanks to the help of the doctors and physios and most of all time as nerve damage needs time to heal.”

Thanks to physiotherapy, he can now load his shoulder better and feels no pain.

“Obviously, I’m very happy with my performance and application this week and last week, having not competed in over a year,” he said.

“But I’m more pleased with how my body is holding up after two intense weeks out here.”