<p>Elvis Smylie of Ripper GC, celebrates on stage after the final round of the LIV Golf Riyadh at Riyadh Golf Club on Saturday, February 07, 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Mateo Villalba/LIV Golf)</p>
Scottie Scheffler believes he can still win the WM Phoenix Open after a third-round 67 left him just five shots behind Hideki Matsuyama at TPC Scottsdale.
The world number one was ten shots off the pace after an opening 73 and eight behind after a second-round 65, going into the final round tied for 16th at eight under.
He’s five shots behind Hideki Matsuyama, who shot 68 to lead by a shot from Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard (65), American Maverick McNealy (65), Korea’s Si Woo Kim (66) and Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune (70).
But while he believes he’ll need “something special” to win back-to-back PGA Tour events following his victory in The American Express two weeks ago, he’s not writing himself off.
“I’ll be starting on the front nine tomorrow, so if I can get out there and make a few birdies on the harder nine and get some momentum going into the back, you never know what can happen,” Scheffler said.
“Feels a lot different coming off the course the last two days than on Thursday. And even to start the year.
“So I feel very comfortable where I am at and where my game is at. Starring to see the ball start online. Yeah, feel in control of the golf club. Overall, I feel like I am in a really good spot.”
Like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, Scheffler feels he can still contend when he’s not playing his best.
“When you look at the results I've had over the last few years, I think probably my greatest skill is being able to stay near the lead,” he added.
“I think one of the things I'm most proud of is the consistent results I've had over the years, so, yeah, definitely agree with that.”
<img alt="" height="1333" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52780078e4b0782c048f31cb/897e4172-1172-45ef-b825-c8eedf15b0a9/RIY_02_06_26_PSA00881.jpg?format=1000w" width="2000" />
<p>Tom McKibbin of Legion XIII hits his shot from the 18th fairway during the third round of the LIV Golf Riyadh at Riyadh Golf Club on Friday, February 06, 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Pedro Salado/LIV Golf)</p>
Matsuyama is going for his third win at TPC Scottsdale following his wins in 2016 and 2017 and while the leaderboard is congested with 18 players within five shots of him, he feels confident.
“Having won here twice, it does help, but it's a brand new tournament and there is a lot of guys there at the top that will be battling,” the Japanese star said.
“So I just need to play well.”
Meanwhile, Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith believes his new teammate Elvis Smylie can become the best golfer in the world after watching the 23-year-old Australian win the league’s first 72-hole event on his LIV Golf debut.
Smylie closed with an eight under 64 to win LIV Riyadh by a shot from Jon Rahm on 24 under and pocket $4 million.
“The crazy thing is, I still think he’s got a lot of improving to go, which is pretty scary, really, for the rest of us, because he waxed us this week,” Smith said.
“I genuinely think he can be the best golfer in the world. He’s got all the tools of the trade. He just needs to keep doing what he’s doing and knuckle down.”
Smyllie was thrilled to win the event with a brilliant putting display.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Smylie, who officially joined the team last month. “I really didn’t know what to expect this week.
“Playing at night is obviously a whole different ballgame out here. I wanted to come out here and make a statement.
"I wanted to prove that I’m one of the best out here, and I feel like I’ve done that. It’s only up from here.”
Ripper GC split $3 million for winning the team title by three strokes on 69 under from Torque with Rahm’s Legion XIII 16 strokes behind in a tie for fourth.
There were no world ranking points for Legion XIII’s Tom McKibbin, awarded only to the top 10, after a closing 67 left him joint 17th on 14 under.
McKibbin won $418,750 for his week’s work in Saudi Arabia — $250,000 for his individual finish and another $168,750 as his share of a $675,000 team payout.
Graeme McDowell closed with a 70 and won $330,000 as he tied for 27th on 12 under ($180,000) and Team Smash finished sixth overall ($150,000 each).
Article Link: Scheffler lurking in Phoenix as McKibbin banks $418,750 at LIV Riyadh - News - Irish Golf Desk