2026 WM Phoenix Open leaderboard: Chris Gotterup claims second win in three PGA Tour starts this season

Gotterup battled into a playoff with Hideki Matsuyama and prevailed at TPC Sawgrass

Three starts into his 2026 PGA Tour season, Chris Gotterup has already picked up two victories. Claiming the season opener at the Sony Open, the big-hitting American returned to the winner's circle at the 2026 WM Phoenix Open by getting the best of Hideki Matsuyama with a birdie on the first playoff hole at TPC Scottsdale.

After signing for an opening 63, Gotterup bookended his tournament with a stellar 64 to post the clubhouse lead at 16 under and then wait as the final groups made their way through the back nine. Gotterup was still one stroke off the lead as Matsuyama made his way to the 18th hole, which he ultimately bogeyed, setting up a playoff between the two.

The win represents not only the second of Gotterup's season but the fourth of his young PGA Tour career. He now has three triumphs across his last 10 PGA Tour starts, dating back to last summer's Scottish Open, where he got the better of Rory McIlroy. 

Gotterup was sensational on Thursday, only to get stuck in neutral in the middle of the tournament. However, Gotterup got his groove back, and the birdies started to fly in bunches. Beginning the round four strokes off the pace of Matsuyama, who was a perfect 5 of 5 as a 54-hole leader on the PGA Tour entering Sunday, Gotterup got to work early and often.

He converted an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 2 and then took advantage of the par-5 2nd. Remained at 2 under for his round by the time he made the turn, Gotterup exchanged a birdie for a bogey on Nos. 10 and 12 before sprinting through the finish line and into the winner's circle.

Gotterup grabbed another birdie on the par-5 13th, knocked one close on the tough par-4 14th and added another circle to his scorecard on the second par 5 of his back nine. After getting through the rowdy par-3 16th, Gotterup got back on the birdie train with one from 3 feet on the short par-4 17th. He threw a dart into the last hole to give himself a chance, one he did not pass up.

As in the playoff, Matsuyama made a mess off the tee again, finding the water and leaving the door open for Gotterup, who marched on through with a birdie of his own to leave no doubt both in the tournament and to the argument that he is, indeed, a world-class player. Grade: A+

Here are the grades for the other notable names on the leaderboard at the 2026 WM Phoenix Open.

2. Hideki Matsuyama (-16): He was flying so close to the sun for the entirety of his final round considering how often he was missing fairways. Finding only three on the day, Matsuyama managed his way around the golf course effectively before it finally bit him on the par-4 18th -- not once, but twice. He found the church pews bunker in regulation, leading to bogey, and then found the water in the playoff to cost him the tournament. The rest of his game kept him afloat in the final round, but it was his driver that ultimately sank his chances at winning his third WM Phoenix Open title. Grade: A

T3. Michael Thorbjornsen (-15): The 24-year-old put on a ball-striking clinic this week as he was among the leaders in strokes gained off the tee and greens in regulation. Thorbjorsen got off to a fast start with three birdies in his first five holes and looked uber comfortable in the penultimate grouping. A nice wedge was thrown into the par-5 13th, and a beautiful, high 8 iron stopped quickly on the par-5 15th, leading to an eagle, which gave him the lead with three holes to play. Perhaps due to some adrenaline, Thorbjornsen's tee shot on the par-3 16th settled long off the surface (a big no-no) and led to an untimely bogey, from which he could not recover. The result marks his third career runner-up result and one from which he will certainly learn. Grade: A

T3. Scottie Scheffler (-15): He was 10 strokes off the pace after Thursday and trimmed the margin in half by the end of Saturday. Scheffler got within one stroke of the lead late Sunday after rattling off three straight birdies in the middle of his back nine, but the early deficit proved too much even for the world No. 1. Scheffler did not have his best stuff for most of the week as his short game was uncharacteristically untidy and he struggled to position himself in the fairway often battling the left miss. Despite all this, he still had a chance to win this tournament heading into the back nine, once again displaying how high his floor is even when he is not firing on all cylinders. 

"It was good," Scheffler said. "I put myself in a tough position after the first round, but three really solid days. Today was another really good round. I'm going to fall a few shots short it looks like, but overall proud of the fight this week and did some good stuff." Grade: B+

T18. Rickie Fowler (-9): Another week and another quality result for the former WM Phoenix Open winner. Fowler has found the top 20 in his first two starts of the season with this one coming via a strong short-game performance. While his driver misbehaved at times and hindered his chances to to truly contend, Fowler found something with his driver on Sunday and led to a relatively stress-free round of 67. After not winning the last two seasons, Fowler has the look of a potential champion this year. Grade: C+

MC. Jordan Spieth (--): There was a lot of hope for Spieth coming into the week given his history at TPC Scottsdale and what he showed at the Sony Open where he finished inside the top 25. After getting into red figures on Thursday, Spieth backtracked on Friday and made an ill-timed double bogey on the par-4 17th when he chipped his second into the water. All around, Spieth's play was just too sloppy and without many positives to pick from it. Luckily, he now returns to Pebble Beach for the first signature event of the season where he has won before. Grade: F

[Feb 8, 2026 at 6:06 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Well, the driver was going to cost him eventually and it did on the 72nd hole. Hideki Matsuyama finds the church pews, clips the bunker and is unable to make a 24-foot par putt to win the tournament in regulation. He drops to 16 under and is now set to face Chris Gotterup in a playoff who made birdie on five of his final six holes to post the clubhouse lead more than 30 minutes ago. The two will play No. 18.

[Feb 8, 2026 at 5:14 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

It is a two-shot swing between the two at the top on Nos. 15 and 16. Matsuyama nips a wedge to 3 feet and converts it for birdie to reach 17 under. Meanwhile, Michael Thorbjornsen goes long of No. 16, chips it to 20 feet and cards a very untimely bogey to drop to 16 under. Chris Gotterup looks like he will post 16 under as well with a birdie on his last.

[Feb 8, 2026 at 5:00 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

The big bird has landed for the 24-year-old! Michael Thorbjornsen takes the solo lead at 17 under thanks to an eagle from 11 feet on the par-5 15th. Hideki Matsuyama is in the right rough behind him.

[Feb 8, 2026 at 4:55 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

It is a par from our leader on the par-4 14th as he now enters a scorable run to end this golf course. Meanwhile, up in front, Matsuyama's closest pursuer — Michael Thorbjornsen — has thrown his second into the par-5 15th to 11 feet and will have that for eagle and to leap frog Matsuyama who is alone at 16 under. It feels a little bit like a two-horse race between the two now that Scottie Scheffler is in the clubhouse with a 7-under 64 and 15-under total.

[Feb 8, 2026 at 4:32 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

The young man from Massachusetts throws a dart into the par-5 13th to reach 15 under and alongside Hideki Matsuyama. Thorbjornsen is playing for more than just a win as he is currently on the outside looking in for the Aon Swing 5 — those who get into the next two signature events. It's a big hour for the 24-year-old.

[Feb 8, 2026 at 4:10 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Scottie Scheffler sneaks in his 7-foot birdie look on the par-5 15th to reach 14 under and only one behind Hideki Matsuyama who has found the surface on the tough par-3 12th. Scheffler will need to grab a couple more birdies over these next three holes given the run of holes in front of Matsuyama that includes two par 5s which Scheffler has already played. The world No. 1 has made three straight birdies.

[Feb 8, 2026 at 3:50 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

He will not go away! The world No. 1 just rolls in a birdie putt from roughly 70 feet from short of the surface to get to 13 under and only two behind Hideki Matsuyama. Matsuyama hit the fairway on No. 10 but is back to being wayward with a right miss on the difficult 11th. There are only three players between Scheffler and the top of the leaderboard.

[Feb 8, 2026 at 3:23 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

This is a short game clinic at the moment. Hideki Matsuyama is altering trajectories and spin from around the green and has been simply sensational in doing so. He scrambles for par on No. 9 to turn in 2 under, go 5-for-5 in scrambling and hold a one-stroke lead with nine holes to play.

[Feb 8, 2026 at 3:00 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

This is incredible. Hideki Matsuyama rolls in a long distance connection for birdie on the par-3 7th to regain the solo lead which he slept on. He stands at 15 under and one clear of Si Woo Kim and Michael Thorbjornsen who are drafting off one another in the penultimate grouping.

[Feb 8, 2026 at 2:09 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

The young American stuffs one in there on No. 5 to reach 14 under alongside Si Woo Kim and Hideki Matsuyama. Meanwhile up ahead, Scottie Scheffler connects from outside 30 feet on the par-4 8th to get to 11 under and only three off the pace. He will need to keep this going into the back half.

[Feb 8, 2026 at 1:39 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

The man who is hitting the most fairways is now alone atop the leaderboard thanks to a birdie on the par-5 3rd. Kim continues to give himself opportunities to attack from the middle of the fairway while Hideki Matsuyama has missed his first three fairways. Kim climbs to 14 under — one clear of playing partner Michael Thorbjornsen who is also 2 under through 3 and Matsuyama.

[Feb 8, 2026 at 1:15 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Hideki Matsuyama has missed his first two fairways and is in trouble off the tee on No. 2, while Si Woo Kim rolled in a 13-footer for birdie on No. 1 to join the lead at 13 under. Kim has been stellar this season and is hitting the ball as well as anyone. If he continues to hole putts, he will pose a problem for his peers on the leaderboard.