Chris Gotterup stood on the first tee, hitting balls and watching the chaos unfold on a television screen. Hideki Matsuyama, the 54-hole leader, was limping to the finish. The tournament that appeared all but decided was suddenly wide open.
When Matsuyama pulled his tee shot into the water on the first playoff hole at 18, Gotterup capitalized on the moment. He striped a massive drive down the fairway and calmly rolled in a 27-foot birdie putt to capture the WM Phoenix Open, his fourth career PGA Tour victory. It was the 22nd playoff in tournament history and the first since Nick Taylor defeated Charley Hoffman in 2024.
“Can’t feel a thing and just trying to make sure I didn’t bomb it by the hole,” Gotterup said of the winning putt. “For it to find the hole like that is really awesome.”
A Sunday Surge
Gotterup began the final round four strokes back of Matsuyama, tied for 11th. He wasn’t even thinking about winning early in the day. After a bogey at the par-4 12th, he was just trying to climb the leaderboard and post a respectable finish.
Then something clicked.
The 26-year-old birdied five of his final six holes, closing with a 7-under 64 that included nine birdies total. His approach into 18 in regulation landed perfectly on the green and rolled to three feet, setting up a crucial birdie that would eventually force the playoff.
“I hit it into the grandstands pretty much,” Gotterup admitted about that approach shot. “I was in the right rough, and I was up against the grandstand and then got a decent lie in the trampled down grass. I had like 120-something yards and just trying to hit it on the green, and for it to land perfectly on the green and roll up to three feet was definitely some luck involved for sure.”
Matsuyama’s Heartbreak
For Matsuyama, it was a crushing finish. The two-time WM Phoenix Open champion had converted all five of his previous 54-hole leads into victories. He was grinding all week without his best stuff but hung tough, staying in control through most of Sunday.
Then came the 72nd hole.
Matsuyama pulled his drive on 18 left into the church pew bunkers, his 11th missed fairway of the day. His second shot caught the face of the bunker, and he couldn’t get up and down from 43 yards. The bogey sent him to a playoff at 16-under 268, tied with Gotterup.
In the playoff, Matsuyama yanked his tee shot even further left than he did in regulation, caroming it off the bank and into the water. After a drop, he hit his third shot onto the green, but Gotterup had already sealed it with that birdie bomb.
“Was grinding all weekend. Didn’t have my best stuff, but hung in there,” Matsuyama said through a translator. “I wanted to avoid the playoff as much as I could, but I just hit a bad tee shot there in regulation at 18 and Chris made a good putt there in the playoff.”
Scheffler’s Charge Falls Short
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler nearly stole the show with a Sunday 64 of his own. After an uncharacteristic 2-over 73 in the opening round that featured five bogeys and a double, Scheffler steadied himself brilliantly. He made just one bogey over his final 54 holes.
The highlight of his final round came at the par-4 14th, where he holed out from 72 feet for birdie. He added birdies at 15 and 17 to pull within one shot of the lead, but couldn’t convert a 24-foot birdie try at 18 to join the playoff.
Scheffler finished in a five-way tie for third at 15-under 269, alongside Akshay Bhatia, Si Woo Kim, Michael Thorbjornsen, and Nicolai Højgaard, extending his streak of consecutive top-10 finishes on Tour to 17. He’s the first player since Billy Casper in 1965 to accomplish that feat.
“I put myself in a tough position after the first round, but three really solid days,” Scheffler said. “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.”
A Star on the Rise
For Gotterup, this victory continues a remarkable run. He’s now claimed four career PGA Tour titles, including wins at the 2024 ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic and the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open. He’s won twice in three starts this season—the Sony Open in Hawaii and now the WM Phoenix Open—and three times in his last 10 starts on Tour overall. He leads the FedExCup standings and has firmly established himself as one of the game’s rising stars.
“I’m just really enjoying being out here right now, and I’m having fun,” Gotterup said. “I feel confident in what I’m doing and feel like I have played well enough to feel confident to be able to be in those positions. So far, I’ve been able to capitalize on those, and I’m excited for the rest of the year.”
The victory at TPC Scottsdale was especially sweet considering Gotterup had missed the cut in his previous two appearances at the event. After holding the first-round lead with an opening 63, he became the first winner of the WM Phoenix Open to come from behind in the final round since Scheffler in 2022.
As the Tour heads to Pebble Beach for the first Signature Event of the season, Gotterup has made one thing clear: he’s not just along for the ride anymore. He’s a legitimate threat to win every time he tees it up.