It was enough that Davis Riley picked up his first individual title on the PGA Tour on Sunday by winning the Charles Schwab Challenge.
It was made better by the fact that he did it by playing alongside and outplaying world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who long ago beat Riley to win the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur.
“I knew coming into today it was going to be a very tough golf course, and you’ve got the No. 1 player in the world breathing down your neck all day. I played some really good golf coming down the stretch,” said Riley, who finished at 14-under-par 266, five strokes ahead of Scheffler and Keegan Bradley, at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
Riley began the final round four strokes ahead of Scheffler and was never seriously threatened on a Sunday when Colonial, hosting the event since a Gil Hanse restoration project last year, played its most difficult of the week.
“I feel like I’m in a good head space and comfortable there and I feel like simplicity has been the key for me.”
Davis Riley
It was Riley’s second career victory – he won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last year with Nick Hardy – and it was his first top-10 finish since the team victory last year.
Riley has been struggling with his ball-striking, ranking outside of the top 150 on tour in strokes gained off the tee and strokes gained approach. He recently began working with swing coach Jeff Smith again after the two paused their relationship last year.
“I feel like I just kind of needed to get a little bit more simplicity,” Riley said. “We haven't re-invented the wheel or done anything different. I feel like I'm in a good head space and comfortable there and I feel like simplicity has been the key for me.”
Riley was outside the top 150 in FedEx Cup points before the Colonial event but jumped to 55th and earned a spot in this year’s two remaining signature events: next week’s Memorial and the Travelers in late June.
“To get a win to catapult me, to hopefully set me up for the rest of the year, I’m beyond excited,” said Riley, who earned $1.638 million from the $9.1 million purse.
The Charles Schwab Challenge was dampened by the death of golfer Grayson Murray, who withdrew after 16 holes in the second round and later committed suicide.
“It was a super sad day for golf,” Riley said. “My heart goes out for his family.”
Bradley, who had his best finish of the season, also paid tribute to Murray.
“I really was heartbroken by this,” he said. “I walked into the locker room today, and the first thing I thought of was that he was here two days ago. It's just horrible. This life, life in general, can be tough, and I just hope that anyone else in his position can reach out and have the support system, and we just love Grayson and I'm thinking about him.”
Ron Green Jr.