"Eyeing No. 1 Spot"… Scheffler Faces Rahm Again After 2 Weeks

PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational Opening

Jon Rahm (Spain) and Scottie Scheffler (USA) are competing for the No. 1 spot in the men's golf world rankings.

Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler will participate in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a PGA Tour event with a total prize money of $20 million, held over four days starting from the 2nd of next month (local time) at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge (par 72) in Orlando, Florida, USA. It has been about two weeks since the Genesis Invitational ended on the 19th.

World Rankings 1st to 3rd: Ram, Scheffler, McIlroy
[Photo by Yonhap News]

With this tournament, Scheffler aims to reclaim the No. 1 world ranking. Scheffler won the WM Phoenix Open, held over four days from the 10th, and rose to No. 1 in the world rankings. However, Rahm pushed Scheffler out by winning the Genesis Invitational held from the 16th to the 20th, claiming the top spot. Depending on the results of this Arnold Palmer Invitational, Scheffler can regain the No. 1 world ranking. Scheffler, last year's champion of this tournament, is aiming for two titles: defending his championship and reclaiming the No. 1 world ranking.

On the other hand, if Rahm wins, he will achieve a rare feat by winning two consecutive tournaments following the Genesis Invitational and also winning all three major invitational tournaments on the PGA Tour.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational has been designated as a "premier event" starting this year, making the lineup much more spectacular. Forty-four players ranked within the top 50 in the world are participating. The remaining six players are members of LIV Golf, who are banned from participating in the PGA Tour.

Top contenders include Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa (all from the USA), and Viktor Hovland (Norway). Six Korean players?Kim Joo-hyung, Im Sung-jae, Lee Kyung-hoon, Kim Si-woo, An Byeong-hun, and Kim Sung-hyun?are also participating.