Scottie Scheffler may be in a league of his own this season, but Chris Gotterup still holds the distinction of being the first player to pick up multiple wins on the PGA Tour in 2026.
Two out of the three PGA Tour winners so far this year were part of the WM Phoenix Open field and even paired together over the first two rounds at TPC Scottsdale.
Chris Gotterup opened with an impressive 63 on Thursday. A strong finish, which saw him birdie five of his last six holes, put the 26-year-old into a playoff against Hideki Matsuyama.
Interestingly, it was Scheffler who lost his hold on the clubhouse lead when Gotterup completed his round on Sunday.
Chris Gotterup reflects on Scottie Scheffler after Phoenix Open triumph
When you look at how his week started, it is impressive how close Scheffler came to winning the event for a third time.
The world number one opened with a 73, leaving himself in a battle just to make the cut. Anyone who doubted him looked foolish by the weekend.
Gotterup was not among those doubters. After his win, he was asked about being grouped with Scheffler as he got off to that slow start.
“Well, I watched the two-over round, so I know he’s going to play well. Everyone has seen it out here. If I could bet on golf, I would have put a lot of money on him to come out and play good on Friday. And I didn’t.
“But he’s the best player in the world right now, and what he did today, I’m playing behind him again, so I could hear it all day. There’s no pressure, if he wins a golf tournament, you’re not surprised. But yeah, to take advantage, I guess, to your point, is nice. But any week you’re just trying to beat everyone in the field,” he stated.
Scottie Scheffler finds himself in unusual position after tough opening round at TPC Scottsdale
Gotterup may have backed Scheffler to recover, but there was good reason for fans to be a bit sceptical.
Since the beginning of the 2024 season, the world number one had only one opening round of 73 or worse, and that was at the US Open at Oakmont last year.
So, when he posted another slow start at TPC Scottsdale, there were some legitimate questions. Especially considering he had already won The American Express earlier in the year. It did not look like the same player early on.
The worrying part for other players is that even though he did not seem anywhere near his best over those final three days, he still came within a shot of reaching the playoff.
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