Chris Gotterup was on a roll when his fourth round at the WM Phoenix Open concluded Sunday. About an hour later, he picked up where he left off.
Gotterup posted a birdie on the first playoff hole after late mishaps by Hideki Matsuyama opened the door for him to win at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course in Arizona.
Gotterup, 26, notched his second victory of 2026 and the fourth of his young career. He shot a 7-under-par 64 and waited for a chance in a playoff.
“I just figured I’d stay loose,” Gotterup said. “I didn’t think this would happen, especially after Friday (71) and Saturday (70). But here we are.”
Gotterup and Matsuyama ended up at 16-under 268 on a day when world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler made a strong move toward the top and created considerable buzz.
Gotterup has won three tour events in less than a seven-month span. This was his first time in a playoff.
“I’m having such a good time playing right now,” Gotterup said. “Just so awesome. … There’s just so many people who believe in me.”
Gotterup, who also won last month’s season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii, posted birdies on five of the final six holes in the last round. The last of those came after he recovered from a wayward tee shot.
“I knew I had to make birdie on 18, but you never know,” Gotterup said. “Hideki was playing great.”
To end the fourth round, Matsuyama’s erratic driving finally cost him.
His tee shot on the 18th hole ended up in a bunker and his quest to scramble for par failed when he was off the mark on a 24-foot putt. He took his lone bogey of the round.
Then Matsuyama’s tee shot on the playoff hole landed in the water alongside the fairway. Gotterup played it steady and recorded another birdie to seal the deal.
Two of Matsuyama’s 11 victories on the PGA Tour have come in this tournament. He also won in 2016 and 2017, but he couldn’t finish the quest this time.
“Was grinding all weekend,” Matsuyama said through a translator. “Didn’t have my best stuff, but hung in there. I wanted to avoid the playoff as much as I could, but I just hit a bad tee shot there in regulation at 18, and Chris made a good putt there in the playoff.”
Matsuyama carried a 1-shot lead on countryman Ryo Hisatsune into the final round.
Matsuyama was trying to win his fourth PGA Tour event in a 24-month period. This marked the sixth time Matsuyama has been the outright leader through 54 holes on the PGA Tour, and he had won each of the…