Chris Gotterup Takes Two-Shot Lead at Phoenix Open as Scottie Scheffler Struggles
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Chris Gotterup shot a bogey-free 8-under 63 to take a two-shot lead Thursday in the first round of the Phoenix Open on a rare day when top-ranked Scottie Scheffler struggled. Warm weather, even for the desert, led to some long drives and low scores at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick matched the back-nine record with a 29 to shoot 65, while Sam Stevens was among a group of four players at 66. Scheffler, however, was not among those going low.
The four-time Player of the Year flubbed two chip shots that rolled back to his feet during a 2-over 73, putting his streak of 65 cuts in jeopardy. Brooks Koepka also struggled, managing just one birdie in a 75 during his second tournament since being reinstated by the PGA Tour.
Gotterup, who shot a final-round 64 in the season-opening Sony Open on Oahu for his third victory in three PGA Tour seasons, tied for 18th at Torrey Pines last week. The 26-year-old missed the cut in his two previous trips to TPC Scottsdale but appeared to have the course figured out in his opening round.
Gotterup jump-started his round by rolling in a 27-foot eagle putt from just off the green on the par-5 13th hole. He soaked up the boozy roars at the stadium par-3 16th by sinking a 7-footer for his third straight birdie and added another on the 18th to turn in a 6-under 30.
He two-putted for birdie on the par-5 third and drained a 26-footer on the long par-3 seventh to match the opening 63 he had in Hawaii.
Scheffler arrived at TPC Scottsdale on a roll, eyeing his third straight PGA Tour win amid a run of 33 straight sub-par rounds. The winner at The American Express two weeks ago, Scheffler showed a rare display of frustration when his chip shot at the par-4 18th rolled back to his feet and followed it with another bogey after a similar miscue on the par-4 eighth.
Scheffler was 10 shots back and in danger of missing a cut for the first time since the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship. He headed straight to the range after his round, hoping to find something that would allow him to go low Friday and continue the PGA Tour’s longest active cuts streak.
Fitzpatrick opened with birdies on holes 10 and 11, then reeled off a run of five straight starting on No. 13. He shot 7 under to tie the back-nine record with seven others and added another birdie on the par-5 third before stumbling to the finish with two closing bogeys.
The 2022 U.S. Open champion has not won since the 2023 RBC Heritage at Hilton Head.
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AP Golf
