Chris Gotterup beats Hideki Matsuyama on playoff hole to win WM Phoenix Open

Chris Gotterup shot 7 under in the final round on Sunday to earn a playoff hole and beat Hideki Matsuyama for his first WM Phoenix Open win and fourth on the PGA Tour.

Third-year PGA TOUR pro @ChrisGotterup is now a FOUR-TIME PGA TOUR WINNER!!!! pic.twitter.com/GBnI6JAwSh

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 8, 2026

Matsuyama entered the third and fourth rounds atop the leaderboard but bogeyed the 18th hole, his only bogey of the day.

The leader by one heading into the final round, Matsuyama had converted all of his previous five 54-hole leads into wins, but limped to the finish at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course.

On the playoff hole, Matsuyama’s drive landed in the water. In an attempt to save any hope, he hit a masterful shot onto the green. But it wasn’t enough.

“Shades of Tiger”

Hideki Matsuyama had to back off his tee shot on the first playoff hole. pic.twitter.com/aasoscGymq

— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) February 8, 2026

Gotterup shot 63 in the opening round, but followed that with 71 and 70 in the two middle rounds, respectively, before turning things around on Sunday.

The 2026 Phoenix Open was the eighth time in the last 12 years it went to a playoff hole.

How did Chris Gotterup make his Sunday comeback?

Matsuyama nearly hit his tee shot in the water left of the reachable par-4 17th and pulled his drive on 18 left into the church pew bunkers — his 11th missed fairway of the day. Matsuyama hit his second shot into the face of the bunker and couldn’t get up-and-down from 43 yards to send the tournament to a playoff. He shot 68 to match Gotterup at 16-under 268.

Gotterup, winner of the season-opening Sony Open, closed with five birdies on his final six holes and stayed loose by hitting balls off the first tee before uncorking a massive drive on 18 in the playoff.

Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler went from being in danger of missing the cut with a shaky first round to turning heads as his name moved toward the top of the leaderboard.

The two-time Phoenix Open champion had a run of four birdies in five holes on the back nine to pull within a shot, but couldn’t take advantage of a massive drive on 18. He closed with a 64 to finish in a five-way tie for third at 15 under.

Matsuyama won consecutive Phoenix Opens in 2016 and 2017, rallying both times to win in playoffs.

The Japanese star started the final round with a one-shot lead over four players with several others still in the hunt — led by Scheffler.

The world No. 1 opened the sport’s rowdiest tournament with a 73, then shot 65 in the second round to extend the PGA Tour’s longest active cuts streak to 66.

Scheffler was seven behind after the second round, trimmed it to five after the third and started inching up the leaderboard Sunday.

Scheffler had three birdies on the front nine and a run of three straight on the back — highlighted by a 72-foot putt from the fringe on 14 — pulled him within one of the lead. A two-putt for birdie from 63 feet on 17 to got Scheffler back within one, but he missed a 24-foot birdie putt on 18 to see his charge fall short.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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