Red-Hot Chris Gotterup Wins WM Phoenix Open After Hideki Matsuyama’s Late Collapse

There have been many 72nd-hole collapses in golf history: Arnold Palmer’s at the 1961 Masters, Jean Van de Velde’s at the 1999 British Open, Phil Mickelson’s at the 2006 U.S. Open and Mito Pereira’s at the 2022 PGA Championship, to name a few.

Add Hideki Matsuyama at the 2026 WM Phoenix Open to the list. And that can include his 73rd hole, too.

Having hit just two fairways all afternoon, the 33-year-old from Japan needed a par on TPC Scottsdale’s par-4 18th for the win, but he hit his drive left, into the church pews. Yet, with a good lie, his out clipped the lip, and the ball traveled just 24 yards. From there, the 2021 Masters champion would fall into a playoff with Chris Gotterup.

And Gotterup took advantage of the opportunity, winning for the second time this year, just four tournaments into the PGA Tour season (Gotterup won the season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii).

The title came with an indelible moment: a victory-clinching, 27-foot birdie putt.

MORE: Final results, payouts from WM Phoenix Open

“Can’t feel a thing and just trying to make sure I didn’t bomb it by the hole and get it down there and put some pressure on Hideki,” Gotterup said of his playoff putt, “and for it to find the hole like that is really awesome.

“I’ve seen countless putts on this 18th hole in playoffs or normal events go in, and to be added to that is pretty cool.”

On the first playoff hole, the 26-year-old New Jersey native smashed his tee ball and though it sailed right, he received a generous kick into the fairway, leaving him 90 yards from the hole. Matsuyama then splashed his drive, essentially costing him the tournament. He still had a chance at par, hitting his second shot to 24 feet after a drop, but he wouldn’t even get that chance with Gotterup’s birdie.

Third-year PGA TOUR pro @ChrisGotterup is now a FOUR-TIME PGA TOUR WINNER!!!! pic.twitter.com/GBnI6JAwSh
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 8, 2026

Frankly, it was miraculous Matsuyama, who shot a final-round 68, came that close to winning, which would have been his third at the event (2016, 2017). With a pack of challengers on his tail all afternoon, he was dreadful off the tee. The other facets of his game kept him alive, though. He finished the week ranked top-three in the field for every other strokes-gained category but was 70th off the tee, losing over four strokes.

For good measure, Gotterup gained four strokes on the field with his driver, and he and Matuyama were T1 in strokes-gained total.

What happened to Matsuyama on the first bonus hole nearly occurred two holes prior. On the drivable par-4 17th, it appeared his driving woes caught up to him when his tee shot sailed left, trickling toward the water left of the green. But the ball stayed up, and he made par. A hole later, he made his first bogey of the week on the back nine.

It hit the lip 😮

Hideki needs a par to win @WMPhoenixOpen ... but he has work ahead.

📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/zXqhoym2Tj
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 8, 2026

Gotterup, meanwhile, was an afterthought at the start of the day. He held the 18-hole lead, but after shooting 71-70 in the ensuing rounds, he needed to go low on Sunday—and did, with a Sunday 64. That came with birdies in five of his final six holes in regulation, including the 18th, where he knocked his approach from the rough with the ball above his feet to 2 feet.

“I didn’t think this [win] would happen, especially after Friday and Saturday,” Gotterup said. “But here we are.”

Down the stretch, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Michael Thorbjornsen seemed the most likely to catch Matsuyama. Thorbjornsen, a 24-year-old in pursuit of his maiden win, took the lead with an eagle on the par-5 15th, before bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 torpedoed his chances.

Scheffler, who won in Phoenix for his first Tour title four years ago, erasing an eight-stroke deficit after 36 holes, started the final round four back, largely due to his opening 73. Four birdies in his last six holes to cap off a 64 made Scheffler the clubhouse leader, but he’d finish one back when it was all over.

“I’m proud to give myself some chances and put myself in position,” said Scheffler, who hasn’t finished outside the top 10 since the Players Championship last March. “Like I said, few shots short ultimately, but proud of the way we fought this week.”

For Matsuyama, the defeat was a little harder to swallow.

“It’s disappointing, shock,” the 11-time Tour winner said. “Learned from it, and just get back up on the horse next week.”

Now, could Gotterup, the latest benefactor of a final-hole stumble, be golf’s next big thing?

It certainly feels that way after his fourth win.

“Don’t be surprised if he’s a major champion before too long, either,” Jim Nantz said as the CBS telecast signed off.

More Golf from Sports Illustrated