Hero World Challenge: Ryder Cup Stars Scheffler and Spaun Finish T4

While Japan's Hideki Matsuyama captured his second Hero World Challenge title with a playoff victory over Alex Noren, the event at Albany also served as a showcase for several key Ryder Cup figures looking to end 2025 on a high note.

Matsuyama and Noren finished regulation at 22-under par, with Matsuyama sealing the win with a birdie on the first extra hole. However, just behind them, members of both Team USA and Team Europe displayed the form that defined their battles at Bethpage Black.

American Duo in Top 5

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and his Ryder Cup teammate J.J. Spaun both finished tied for fourth at 20-under par, just two shots out of the playoff.

For Scheffler, the result was a positive step after a challenging end to the season. He carded a final-round 66 to climb the leaderboard.

"Very optimistic, did a lot of good things," Scheffler told reporters after his round. "I definitely felt like some of the stuff I've been working on the last few weeks, I saw some progress here... Good place to be."

Despite the strong finish, Scheffler admitted there was still work to be done. "Played better than my score, for sure," he noted, adding that he "didn't hole as many putts" as he would have liked.

Spaun, one of the surprise automatic qualifiers for Team USA, validated his spot among the elite with a consistent week, proving his Ryder Cup selection was no fluke.

Straka Shines for Europe

On the European side, Austrian Sepp Straka continued his excellent 2025 form, finishing solo third at 21-under par, missing the playoff by a single stroke. Straka, who contributed 2 points to Europe's victory at Bethpage, seemingly hasn't lost a step since September.

The strong finishes from these Ryder Cup veterans suggest that the competitive fire from September is still very much alive as the golf world turns its eyes toward the 2026 season.