Chris Gotterup stuns Hideki Matsuyama in a playoff to come out on top in Phoenix Open

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gotterup-christopher/nVwVk9Kf/"]Gotterup[/a], who started the day four shots behind third-round leader [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/matsuyama-hideki/GOHJOEb5/"]Matsuyama[/a], fired nine birdies in a seven-under par 64 at TPC Scottsdale, picking up five shots in the last six holes to post a 16-under total of 268.[/p][p]Matsuyama, meanwhile, endured a nervy round in which he hit just three of 14 fairways but arrived at the 72nd hole in the lead at 17-under.[/p][p]His waywardness finally caught up with him, as he was in the church pews bunker left the fairway on the way to his first bogey of the day.[/p][p]That saw him close with a three-under par 68 and join Gotterup on 268, and when they returned to 18 for the playoff Matsuyama was left again and in the water.[/p][embed guid="67f1223b-aa05-46f8-80f0-b575350220ec" url="https://x.com/GolfChannel/status/2020641932201148820?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Gotterup drilled a long birdie to seal his first PGA Tour playoff win and his second title of 2026 after a triumph at the Sony Open in Hawaii last month.[/p][p]Gotterup had put himself in position to strike with a late surge that included birdies at 13, 14 and 15 and another pair at 17 and 18 - where his shot out of the right rough left him a three-foot birdie putt.[/p][p]"[b]I knew I needed to make birdie on 18 but you never know,[/b]" Gotterup said. "[b]Hideki was playing great, 17 is birdieable but there's also some danger out there.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I just figured I would stay loose. I didn't think this would happen, especially after Friday and Saturday but here we are,[/b]" added Gotterup, who launched his week with an impressive 63 but lost ground with a second-round 71 and third-round 70.[/p][p]Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters Champion and a two-time winner in Phoenix, had four birdies and had fended off multiple challenges before his final swoon.[/p][p]"[b]It's disappointing, a shock,[/b]" Matsuyama admitted, adding he'd "[b]just get back up on the horse next week[/b].[/p][p]"[b](I) was grinding all weekend,[/b]" he said. "[b]Didn't have my best stuff but hung in there.[/b]"[/p][h2]Scheffler solid[/h2][p]World number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/scheffler-scottie/bXfIuBYu/"]Scottie Scheffler[/a] came up short in his bid for another epic Phoenix Open comeback and American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thorbjornsen-michael/l4vvpI4A/"]Michael Thorbjornsen[/a] was unable to hang on after briefly taking the lead with an eagle at 15, bogeying the next two.[/p][p]Scheffler and Thorbjornsen were part of a five-way tie for third on 15-under 269, where they were joined by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bhatia-akshay/hO3IOL5C/"]Akshay Bhatia[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kim-si-woo/AVOmsy0G/"]Kim Si-woo[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hojgaard-nicolai/nFdhtZdB/"]Nicolai Hojgaard[/a].[/p][p]Scheffler, who won the 2022 Phoenix Open after trailing by nine after 36 holes, started the day five off the pace but managed to put some pressure on with his bogey-free seven-under par 64.[/p][p]"[b]It was good,[/b]" said the four-time major winner, who had worked his way into contention after a disappointing first-round 73.[/p][p]"[b]I put myself in a tough position after the first round, but three really solid days,[/b]" added Scheffler, who was chasing a second win of 2026 after a victory at La Quinta in his first start of the year.[/p]