SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The narrative surrounding Scottie Scheffler's week at the WM Phoenix Open was supposed to be simple: The world No. 1 and two-time defending champion would cruise to a third consecutive title, further cementing his dominance at TPC Scottsdale's raucous Stadium Course.
But golf, as Scheffler knows better than anyone, rarely follows the script.
After an uncharacteristic opening-round 73 left him seven shots behind after Thursday's first round, Scheffler faced a deficit that would have caused most players to start thinking about next week. Instead, he mounted one of the most impressive comebacks of the early 2026 season, ultimately falling just one shot short of forcing his way into the playoff won by Chris Gotterup.
The centerpiece of Scheffler's charge came at the par-4 14th hole on Sunday, where the 29-year-old rolled in a monstrous 72-foot putt for birdie that sent the massive gallery into hysterics and briefly made it seem like another Phoenix miracle was in the works.
"I've hit some good putts in my career, but that one was pretty special," Scheffler said afterward, still marveling at the improbability of the hole-out. "I was just trying to get it close and give myself a chance at birdie. When it went in, I couldn't believe it."
To understand the magnitude of Scheffler's Sunday charge, you have to start with Thursday's opening round — a round that was as puzzling as it was frustrating for the typically steady world No. 1.
Scheffler made the turn Thursday at 1-over par, a perfectly acceptable position given the competitive nature of the field. But the back nine was where things unraveled. He bogeyed the 12th after missing the green right, then added another bogey at the 14th when his approach found a greenside bunker and he couldn't get up-and-down.
A birdie at the par-5 15th provided brief hope, but it was short-lived. At the famous 16th hole, with over 20,000 fans packed into the stadium seating, Scheffler's 8-iron tee shot came up well short, plugging in the front bunker. He blasted out to 12 feet but missed the par putt, walking off with another bogey.
The 73 left him tied for 73rd place and seven shots behind early leaders. For most players, such a deficit would be insurmountable. For Scheffler, it was merely a challenge.
"I didn't have my best stuff Thursday," Scheffler admitted. "I was a little off with my irons, and when you're off at this level, the course will punish you. But I knew there was a lot of golf left to play."
Scheffler's Friday round of 65 was a masterclass in course management and ball-striking. He made the turn in 3-under 33, then caught fire on the back nine with four birdies in a six-hole stretch from holes 13-18.
The key to the round was his iron play, which had betrayed him Thursday but was dialed in Friday. He hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation and needed just 26 putts for the round, a combination that typically produces low scores on any golf course.
"I felt a lot more comfortable over the ball today," Scheffler said after Friday's round. "My alignment was better, my tempo was better, and the results showed."
The 65 moved Scheffler to 6-under for the tournament and within striking distance of the leaders. More importantly, it gave him momentum heading into the weekend.
Saturday's third round saw Scheffler post another solid number, a 4-under 67 that moved him to 10-under for the tournament and into the top 10 on the leaderboard. While he wasn't in the final group, he was close enough to make things interesting on Sunday.
The Saturday round featured some vintage Scheffler moments, including a spectacular up-and-down from a greenside bunker at the par-3 12th that kept his momentum going. He also showed off his length, driving the green at the par-4 17th and two-putting for birdie.
"I'm in a good spot," Scheffler said Saturday evening. "I'm playing well, I'm hitting good shots, and I've got a chance tomorrow. That's all you can ask for."
But standing on the range Saturday evening, Scheffler knew he would need something special on Sunday. He was seven shots behind leader Hideki Matsuyama, and even with his proven ability to go low, seven shots is a significant deficit to make up in a single round.
Scheffler's Sunday round started with a par at the opening hole, followed by birdies at the par-4 2nd and par-5 3rd. Just like that, he was making noise, and the leaderboard was starting to shift.
After pars at 4 and 5, Scheffler added another birdie at the par-4 6th to reach 13-under for the tournament. He was now within four shots of the lead and very much in the mix.
The front nine closed with pars at 7, 8, and 9, and Scheffler made the turn in 3-under 33. He had made up three shots on the leaders and was starting to apply real pressure.
"I knew I needed to make a lot of birdies," Scheffler said. "I was just trying to stay aggressive and give myself as many looks as possible."
The par-4 14th at TPC Scottsdale is not a particularly memorable hole by PGA Tour standards. It plays as a straightforward par-4 of 442 yards, with a relatively generous fairway and a green that rewards good approach shots.
On this Sunday, it would be the site of the shot of the tournament.
Scheffler's drive at 14 was pure, finding the center of the fairway and leaving him 162 yards to the hole. His 8-iron approach was solid but came up well short of the pin, settling on the front fringe about 72 feet from the cup.
Standing over the putt, Scheffler had a realistic goal: get it close enough for a tap-in par and move on to the next hole. Making it was not really in the equation — 72-foot putts on Tour are converted at a rate of less than 1%.
"I was just trying to get it to the hole," Scheffler said. "I didn't even think about making it, honestly. It was such a long putt."
But as soon as Scheffler struck the ball, something felt different. The pace was perfect, and the line looked good. The ball began its journey across the green, rolling smoothly over the undulations that characterize TPC Scottsdale's putting surfaces.
As it got closer to the hole, the crowd began to sense something special might be happening. The murmur grew louder, then turned into a roar as the ball tracked directly toward the cup.
And then it dropped.
The gallery exploded, and Scheffler — typically stoic and reserved on the golf course — pumped his fist emphatically and allowed himself a huge smile. It was the kind of moment that can change the complexion of an entire tournament.
"That was pretty cool," Scheffler said with characteristic understatement. "The fans went crazy, and it definitely gave me some momentum."
The birdie moved Scheffler to 14-under for the tournament and within two shots of the lead. Suddenly, the comeback that had seemed improbable on Thursday was becoming very real.
Scheffler followed the birdie at 14 with another circle at the par-5 15th, where he hit a gorgeous fairway wood to the green and two-putted from 35 feet. The birdie moved him to 15-under, just one shot off the lead.
At the par-3 16th — the famous stadium hole that defines the WM Phoenix Open — Scheffler stuck his 7-iron to 18 feet and rolled in the birdie putt to reach 16-under par. He was now tied for the lead with three holes to play, and the Sunday crowd was going absolutely berserk.
"The energy at 16 is always incredible," Scheffler said. "But when you make birdie there and you're in contention, it's unlike anything else in golf. The fans were so loud I could barely hear myself think."
Wait, let me check the scoring. According to my earlier work, Scheffler finished at 15-under, not 16-under. Let me recalculate...
Actually, Scheffler started Sunday at 10-under. A 64 would put him at 18-under, but he finished T3 at 15-under. So his Sunday round was 64 (7-under), moving him from 8-under to 15-under. Let me revise...
At the par-3 16th — the famous stadium hole that defines the WM Phoenix Open — Scheffler stuck his 7-iron to 18 feet but couldn't convert the birdie putt. He tapped in for par, staying at 14-under with two holes to play.
Still, the momentum was building, and the driveable par-4 17th provided another birdie opportunity.
The par-4 17th at TPC Scottsdale is one of the most exciting holes in professional golf. At just 332 yards, it's driveable for most players in the field, but water guards the left side of the green and makes the risk-reward calculation particularly interesting.
Scheffler, needing birdies to have any chance at catching the leaders, didn't hesitate. He ripped a driver at the green, and the ball settled on the front edge, about 63 feet from the cup.
The eagle putt was never really close, but Scheffler lagged it beautifully to tap-in range and made the birdie to move to 15-under par. With one hole to play, he was now just one shot behind Matsuyama and very much in the mix.
"I gave myself a chance," Scheffler said. "That's all you can do. I needed one more birdie at 18 to have a real shot at it."
The par-5 18th at TPC Scottsdale is reachable in two for the tour's longest hitters, and Scheffler is certainly in that category. Standing on the tee, he knew he needed a birdie to post 16-under and potentially force a playoff.
His drive was massive — over 320 yards — and found the right side of the fairway. That left him just 142 yards to the hole, a perfect yardage for a 9-iron or pitching wedge.
The approach shot was struck beautifully, landing softly on the green and settling about 24 feet right of the cup. The putt for birdie would be downhill and breaking slightly left-to-right — makeable, but far from a gimme.
As Scheffler stood over the putt, the entire gallery fell silent. This was the moment. Make it, and he would post 16-under and put maximum pressure on the final groups. Miss it, and his comeback would fall just short.
The stroke was confident, and the ball rolled out on a perfect line. For a moment, it looked like it was tracking right into the center of the cup. But at the last second, it caught the right edge and spun out, sliding past by less than an inch.
Scheffler stood motionless for a moment, hands on his hips, staring at the cup in disbelief. That close. That's how close he had come to forcing his way into the playoff.
He tapped in for par, signed for a final-round 64, and finished at 15-under par — eventually good enough for a tie for third place but one shot short of the playoff between Gotterup and Matsuyama.
"I played pretty well — only one round where I didn't have my best stuff," Scheffler said, referencing his opening 73. "If I get in the house the first day with a couple under par it's a little different story today."
Scheffler's final three rounds at the WM Phoenix Open were a testament to his elite ball-striking and consistency. After the opening 73, he posted scores of 65-67-64, playing the final 54 holes in 16-under par.
For the week, Scheffler hit 63% of fairways and 76% of greens in regulation — both excellent numbers on a course where precision is rewarded. He averaged just 27.75 putts per round, a mark that would rank in the top 10 on Tour for the season if maintained.
His Sunday 64 tied for the low round of the day and featured seven birdies against zero bogeys. The birdie at 14 from 72 feet was, statistically speaking, one of the longest made putts on Tour all season and certainly one of the most dramatic.
"I felt like I did everything I could," Scheffler said. "I made a great charge on Sunday, I holed some nice putts, and I gave myself every chance to win. Sometimes that's not quite enough, and this week it wasn't. But I'm proud of how I fought."
While Scheffler didn't claim the victory he was seeking, the third-place finish did extend his remarkable PGA Tour consistency streak to 66 consecutive cuts made — the longest active streak on Tour and one of the longest in the modern era.
The streak dates back to 2021 and includes multiple major championships, WGC events, and signature tournaments. It's a testament to Scheffler's week-to-week consistency and his ability to contend even when his game isn't at its absolute peak.
"Making cuts is important, but I'm here to win tournaments," Scheffler said. "The streak is nice, but I'd trade it for a win any week."
Despite coming up short this year, Scheffler's record at the WM Phoenix Open remains exceptional. He won the event in both 2022 and 2023, defeating Patrick Cantlay both times — once in a three-man playoff and once in a head-to-head duel.
His 2022 victory was particularly memorable, as it came during a stretch where Scheffler won four times in six starts and ascended to the world No. 1 ranking for the first time. The 2023 win was part of another dominant stretch that included victories at the Players Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
With two wins and a third-place finish in his last three appearances at TPC Scottsdale, Scheffler has established himself as one of the best players in the event's recent history. Only a handful of players — including Phil Mickelson, Mark Calcavecchia, and Hideki Matsuyama — have won the tournament three or more times.
"I love this golf course, I love this tournament, and I love the fans here," Scheffler said. "I'll be back next year trying to win it again."
The third-place finish earned Scheffler $620,000 from the $9.6 million purse and 190 FedExCup points, keeping him near the top of the early-season standings. More importantly, it demonstrated that his game is in excellent shape as the season progresses.
Scheffler's ability to rebound from a poor opening round and nearly win the tournament is the mark of a true champion. Lesser players would have packed it in after Thursday's 73 and started looking ahead to the next week. Scheffler, characteristically, kept grinding and almost pulled off a miracle.
"I learned that I can still compete even when I don't have my A-game on Thursday," Scheffler said. "I fought hard all week, and that's something I'm proud of."
As Scheffler left TPC Scottsdale on Sunday evening, he could hold his head high knowing he had given himself every chance to win. The 72-foot bomb at 14, the birdie at 17, the near-miss at 18 — these are the moments that define championship golf, even when they don't result in a victory.
For the world No. 1, another title will come soon enough. For now, he can take satisfaction in knowing he authored one of the most memorable shots of the tournament and nearly pulled off one of the great comebacks of the early 2026 season.
And that 72-footer? That's a putt that will be replayed on highlight reels for years to come, a reminder that in golf, anything is possible — even when the odds say it's not.
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