Scottie Scheffler finishes third at WM Phoenix Open after seven-birdie Sunday, missing playoff by two

Scheffler rallies from an opening-round stumble but cannot reach a playoff finish at TPC Scottsdale

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler produced a bogey-free, seven-birdie 64 on Sunday to climb into a share of third place at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, but his late surge fell two shots short of the playoff at TPC Scottsdale.

Scheffler finished the week at 15-under-par, part of a six-player tie for third that also included Nicolai Højgaard, Michael Thorbjornsen, Akshay Bhatia and Si Woo Kim. The title was decided at 16-under after regulation and ended with Chris Gotterup defeating Hideki Matsuyama in a playoff.

Back-nine burst briefly changes the tournament’s shape

Scheffler’s charge accelerated on the back nine as he took advantage of the course’s closing scoring opportunities. He birdied Nos. 13, 14 and 15 in succession, with the highlight coming at the 14th where he holed a 72-foot shot from off the green for birdie. The run tightened the leaderboard and increased pressure on the final groups.

Even with the momentum, Scheffler needed additional closing birdies to force extra holes. He played the final three holes par-birdie-par and finished two strokes out of the playoff number.

A tournament defined by recovery after Thursday’s 73

The Sunday finish capped a week that began with an uncharacteristic opening-round 73 (2-over). Scheffler steadied his play immediately, responding with a bogey-free 65 on Friday to ensure he reached the weekend. Across his final 54 holes, he made only one bogey, an indicator of the ball-striking and scrambling that kept him in contention despite the slow start.

His final-round 64 stood out not only for the score but for its cleanliness on a course that can punish missed fairways and poorly judged approaches—particularly amid the tournament’s high-energy environment and heavy fan presence.

Final leaderboard snapshot

• Won in playoff: Chris Gotterup (-16)
• Runner-up: Hideki Matsuyama (-16)
• T-3: Scottie Scheffler, Nicolai Højgaard, Michael Thorbjornsen, Akshay Bhatia, Si Woo Kim (all -15)

Scheffler’s Sunday 64 represented one of the lowest rounds of the day, but the deficit from Thursday left too little margin for error as the leaders played the closing stretch.

The result leaves Scheffler with another high finish at an event where he has previously won, reinforcing his position near the top of the PGA Tour’s early-season form line even without adding a third Phoenix title.