Michael Thorbjornsen ended up finishing in a tie for third alongside Scottie Scheffler at the WM Phoenix Open on Sunday.
Thorbjornsen bogeyed the 16th and 17th holes to miss out on a playoff by one stroke at the WM Phoenix Open.
Meanwhile, Scheffler carded a bogey-free 64 to race up the leaderboard on Championship Sunday.
Scheffler was nowhere near his best at the Phoenix Open, but he still managed to grind out a strong four-round total of 15-under-par.
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Had he started with a round of even-par, he would have won the tournament.
Scheffler will have woken up on Monday morning feeling encouraged after how he managed to turn things around in the desert.
However, Thorbjornsen might just be feeling really disappointed after letting his best chance so far to win slip through his fingers.
Michael Thorbjornsen must listen to Scottie Scheffler’s comments at the Phoenix Open
At just 24 years old, Thorbjornsen is one of the most talented young players on the PGA Tour.
Interestingly, Scheffler’s first PGA Tour win came when he was 25 at the WM Phoenix Open. His first PGA Tour victory came in the 70th event he played.
After his final round on Sunday, the world number one discussed the challenging environment at TPC Scottsdale.
“Being able to get my first win here was really special, especially in the fashion I did it in, winning in a playoff.
“In this environment, this is a tough environment to play golf in, especially if you’re trying to get your first win.
“You can’t really say enough what that win did for my career.“
Scheffler made it very clear just how difficult it is to win the Phoenix Open, and Thorbjornsen should take great heart from that.
It’s also worth noting that Thorbjornsen’s bogey on 16 was seriously unlucky.
He hit a nine-iron and flew his ball pin high, before it trundled off the back of the green.
His caddie, J.J. Jakovic, is extremely experienced, and he was shocked at how far the 24-year-old carried his tee shot.
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It was just one of those things.
One thing’s for sure – Thorbjornsen WILL win on the PGA Tour in the very near future.
His T-3 finish at the WM Phoenix Open will be a great learning experience for him moving forward, and Scheffler’s comments after the tournament should give the youngster real encouragement.
Michael Thorbjornsen shows his class after the WM Phoenix Open
Thorbjornsen’s comments after his round prove just how mature he is.
“Yeah, again, you put yourself in those positions more and more, you get more comfortable, you learn every single time whether you do well or — I mean whether the result is good or bad necessarily,“ Thorbjornsen said.
“If you’re talking about wins or losses.
I don’t think I failed out there. I’m just learning. So, yeah, I put myself in that position.
“I was leading after what, 70 holes, 69 holes, whatever it was. I mean, we’re inching our way closer and closer. It’ll happen at some point.“
The fact that Thorbjornsen said he didn’t fail shows how strong his mentality is.
I have no doubts that he will win more than once within the next few years.
He deserves huge credit for the way he handled missing out on the win in Phoenix and his attitude will serve him very well moving forward.
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