How Chris Gotterup’s WM Phoenix Open win mirrored Scottie Scheffler’s breakthrough

Chris Gotterup has furthered his case as one of the PGA Tour’s brightest emerging talents after securing his second win of the season at the WM Phoenix Open. After making five birdies in a six-hole stretch to finish level with Hideki Matsuyama, he forced a playoff before edging out the Japanese star on the first extra hole.

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Photo by Rich Storry/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images

Chris Gotterup has furthered his case as one of the PGA Tour’s brightest emerging talents after securing his second win of the season at the WM Phoenix Open.
After making five birdies in a six-hole stretch to finish level with Hideki Matsuyama, he forced a playoff before edging out the Japanese star on the first extra hole.
The win lifts Gotterup into fifth in the world rankings and adds to what is quickly becoming an impressive early-season résumé.
Chris Gotterup matches Scottie Scheffler’s feat at the WM Phoenix Open
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Gotterup is making a strong case that he belongs among golf’s elite. He already holds a win over Rory McIlroy from last year’s Scottish Open and recently outplayed Scottie Scheffler by 10 shots when they shared a round at TPC Scottsdale.
There’s still plenty of work ahead for Gotterup, but it’s clear he has what it takes to compete with anyone when he’s on form.
And his latest win at TPC Scottsdale comes with an interesting bit of symmetry—he matched something the world number one did not long ago.
The WM Phoenix Open marked Gotterup’s 71st start on the PGA Tour, a journey that began at the 2022 Puerto Rico Open. He now has four wins to his name since then.
Interestingly, he’s not alone in reaching this milestone in Phoenix.
Scheffler also claimed victory in Phoenix in his 71st start, beating Patrick Cantlay after three extra holes back in 2022 to secure his first PGA Tour title. And that remarkable connection will always tie both players together.
There are even more links between Gotterup and Scheffler
It’s worth noting that both players found their way into playoffs in similar fashion. Scheffler needed four birdies in his final six holes, while Gotterup went one better with five.
Scheffler’s win felt like the start of something bigger, a moment that hinted at what was to come – though few could have predicted just how far he would go.
Gotterup’s victory sent a different kind of message. It wasn’t so much about what he might become, but more a reminder that he’s already capable of beating anyone on his day.
The challenge now for Gotterup is to try and follow the path Scheffler set after his own win in Arizona. That won’t be easy, but this win shows he’s got the talent to give it a real go.
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