Chris Gotterup owns a two-stroke lead at the WM Phoenix Open after shooting an 8-under-par 63 in the first round at TPC Scottsdale that was suspended due to darkness Thursday in Arizona.
Nine players, none of them lower than 3 under for their rounds, have one or two holes left to complete Friday morning before getting on with the second round.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick shot a 7-under 29 on the back nine (his first nine holes of the day) but bogeyed his closing two holes to settle for a 6-under 65. Tied for third at 5-under 66 are Michael Thorbjornsen, Pierceson Coody, Sam Stevens and Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard.
Gotterup began his bogey-free round on the back nine and got into red figures with an eagle at the par-5 13th. He reached the green in two and sank a 27-foot eagle putt to jumpstart his round.
“Any time you make an eagle or a nice putt, it definitely helps,” Gotterup said. “I just felt like even if I didn’t make that, I felt like I was just trying to do the right stuff. …
“I feel like I just really managed where I needed to be on the golf course well today.”
The 26-year-old proceeded to birdie the next three holes, capped by a 7-footer at the famed par-3 16th, Scottsdale’s “Stadium Hole.” Gotterup added another birdie at No. 18 and two more on the front nine.
“I wouldn’t say today I drove it my best or did anything — I putted great today, but I just was in the right spot when I needed to be,” Gotterup said.
It has been a dream start to the 2026 season for Gotterup. He won his third PGA Tour title at the season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii, then tied for 18th at the Farmers Insurance Open last week.
Fitzgerald said of ending poorly after starting hot, “Yeah, it’s disappointing. I guess the way you got to look at it is if I started bogey, bogey and you finish 6 under, you come off feeling like the greatest player in the world. You got to try and reframe it I guess there.
“If someone would’ve said, ‘Here is 6 under to start the day and I can stay in bed,’ I would’ve snatched your hand off. I’m in a good position to start with and hopefully kick on.”
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is in danger of missing the cut after signing for a 2-over-par 73. On his back-nine start, he made four birdies but followed three of those immediately with a bogey. His struggles continued with a three-putt bogey at No. 1 and a messy double bogey at No. 2.
When Xander Schauffele missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, it left Scheffler as the active leader on tour with 65 consecutive cuts made.
–Field Level Media
