Scottie Scheffler Edges Ryder Cup Ally in Procore Championship Victory
Craig Jones 
World number one Scottie Scheffler tuned up for the upcoming Ryder Cup in style, capturing his 19th PGA Tour trophy with victory at the Procore Championship in Napa, California.
Scheffler carded a closing 67, highlighted by six birdies against a single dropped shot, to reach 19-under for the week. The Texan spent much of Sunday locked in battle with fellow American and Ryder Cup teammate Ben Griffin before pulling clear to secure the title.
It wasn’t strictly a matchplay setting, with Scheffler and Griffin competing in separate groups, but their head-to-head battle provided the perfect dress rehearsal for the Ryder Cup, where peak sharpness will be essential.
Ten members of the American team teed it up at Silverado Resort as part of their build-up for Rome.
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Scottie Scheffler Leads US Ryder Cup Players at Procore
US Open champion JJ Spaun recovered from a flat third round of 72 by closing with a sparkling 66, lifting him into sixth on 15-under. Cameron Young, also on Keegan Bradley’s roster, signed off with a 67 to come ninth, three shots further adrift.
Sam Burns earned a share of 13th place, while Russell Henley, who had set the early pace, slipped down the board after weekend scores of 74 and 72, eventually ending ten strokes behind Scheffler in a tie for 19th.
"I think we're all excited for the Ryder Cup to get here," said Scheffler.
"This was a big step for us, getting all the guys together for this tournament to stay sharp and get ready.
"I'm excited to get it started."
Team USA lead the golf betting for the Ryder Cup at the moment, with home advantage usually a big help in this event.
Noren Leads Europe Success at BMW Championship
Over in Europe, all but one of Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup picks participated in the BMW PGA Championship, with three finishing inside the top five and several others hitting their stride before the Sunday night flight to New York.
Ryder Cup vice-captain Alex Noren triumphed by four shots. Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton were all tied for fifth, having each been in contention for the title at various stages throughout the week.
Jon Rahm ended up in 13th, with Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg also taking top-20 spots.
The way players were grouped in the event may have offered a glimpse of potential Ryder Cup pairings. Tommy Fleetwood was put with Justin Rose for the opening two rounds, as Fitzpatrick played alongside Aberg.
Hovland was paired with fellow Scandinavian Rasmus Hojgaard, while Hatton was matched with Robert MacIntyre. The standout group featured Rahm and Irish pair McIlroy and Shane Lowry.
"You can read into it however you want," said Donald. "There will be lots of different groups, different pairings playing together.
"These things are never always set in stone. We always have a plan in place and another plan if things go in a different direction."
Donald’s squad have experimented with virtual reality technology to simulate the crowd intensity and atmosphere expected at Bethpage Black in a fortnight.
US captain Bradley made it clear he won’t be drawn into psychological battles with Europe: “I really don’t care what they’re doing, I really don’t care what team Europe does.”
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