LA QUINTA, California — Sahith Theegala delivered a strong finish at The American Express, ending a year-long top-10 drought with a bogey-free final round, while world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler continued his dominant run on the PGA Tour with a four-shot victory.
Theegala closed the tournament with a flawless 7-under 65 on Sunday, climbing steadily up the leaderboard to finish tied for eighth at 21-under par. It marked his first top-10 finish on the PGA Tour since the 2024 Tour Championship and offered a timely boost after a difficult 2025 season disrupted by injuries.
The Indian-origin American rebounded impressively after a slow start to the week. An opening-round 1-under 71 left him tied for 118th, but he surged back with rounds of 64, 67, and 65 over the final three days. Two of those rounds were bogey-free, underscoring the scale of his comeback.
On Sunday, Theegala picked up three birdies on the front nine and added four more on the back. He closed his round by birdieing two of the final three holes, finishing six shots behind the winner but showing renewed confidence and consistency.
The other players of Indian origin in the field, Akshay Bhatia and Sudarshan Yellamaraju, missed the cut.
At the top of the leaderboard, Scheffler once again asserted his dominance. Beginning the final round two shots off the lead, he produced a birdie-laden 6-under 66, totaling nine birdies for the day and finishing at 27-under par to secure his 20th PGA Tour victory.
Despite an early bogey and a late double bogey, Scheffler remained in control throughout. A run of four birdies over six holes on the front nine allowed him to overtake overnight leader Si Woo Kim and teenager Blades Brown, building a lead that proved insurmountable.
Scheffler finished four shots clear of Jason Day (64), Ryan Gerard (65), Matt McCarty (68), and Andrew Putnam (68). Nine of his 20 PGA Tour wins have now come by margins of four strokes or more.
The victory also secured Scheffler lifetime PGA Tour membership. He joined an elite group that includes Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods by reaching 20 Tour wins and four major championships before the age of 30.
Blades Brown, who drew significant attention throughout the week, briefly contended on Sunday before fading as Scheffler pulled away.
Scheffler is expected to take a short break before returning to action at the WM Phoenix Open, the tournament where his current run of PGA Tour success began four years ago. (Source: IANS)
