The week started with a dreadful round of 73 strokes, 10 behind the leader. And after the second round, his deficit was seven. But Scottie Scheffler (-8) will have a chance tomorrow to achieve his fourth consecutive victory on the PGA Tour in his last four appearances on the circuit. Much of the credit can undoubtedly be given to his ability to achieve good results out of nowhere. But his opponents, with their mistakes, have contributed this Saturday to give him an unexpected ‘extra life’ at the WM Phoenix Open.
The Number One in the world started the ‘moving day’ with seven consecutive pars. His first birdie of the day came on the par four of the 8th. And the second, on the 10th, holing out from the bunker. A magical shot that seemed to kickstart his round, to which he added three more birdies, a single bogey, and a couple of chances that he usually doesn’t miss but slipped away this time. A final 67 that will allow him to start tomorrow five strokes off the lead, a difficult deficit to overcome… unless your name is Scottie Scheffler.
“I’m going to need a special round. If I make birdies on the toughest parts and gain momentum, you never know what can happen,” he said right after handing in his card. “Unless something very strange happens, I shouldn’t be out of the tournament,” he added before knowing that, except for Hideki Matsuyama (-13), the tournament’s sole leader, all his rivals were going to insist on making mistakes or missing opportunities to open the door for him. It’s true that there are many players with chances, up to 19 within that five-stroke margin, but few intimidate more than the giant from Ridgewood.
The Japanese Ryo Hisatsune (-12), who started the day at the top of the leaderboard, was only able to gain one stroke on the field, closing his Saturday with a painful bogey. Matsuyama fared somewhat better, with a 68 that took him to the top of the table, but he closed his round with five consecutive pars when he had a golden opportunity to make a statement and steer the victory. Meanwhile, Matt Fitzpatrick (-11), who managed to become co-leader, was weighed down by the stadium, where he made a double bogey before closing his round with another putting mistake.
The Dane Nicolai Hojgaard (-12), with a remarkable 65, got right into the fight; as did Maverick McNealy (-12) and Si Woo Kim (-12), who is starting 2026 at an extraordinary level (not a single round over par, eleven out of twelve beating the courses he’s played, and with 67 birdies, more than anyone). From there, a long list of more contenders with names like Michael Thorbjornsen (-11), Jake Knapp (-11), Akshay Bathia (-11), John Parry (-10), Viktor Hovland (-9), Rasmus Hojgaard (-9) and company…
Everything to play for at a TPC Scottsdale where the toughness of the greens could be decisive in determining the winner amidst one of the most boisterous crowds of the season. Hideki will start as the leader with a one-stroke advantage over his four main pursuers and conveying good sensations. He already knows what it’s like to win here and twice over. But on this moving day, it seems everyone is determined that Scheffler also has his chance… and the one from New Jersey is one who usually takes advantage of them.
