Playoff drama runs deep at TPC Scottsdale. Since arriving at this desert venue in 1987, the WM Phoenix Open has held 12 playoffs, averaging one every three years. The last four came in even-numbered years, making 2026 perfectly positioned for sudden-death fireworks before the Super Bowl kickoff.

The playoff format: How it works at WM Phoenix Open 26′

The WM Phoenix Open goes straight to sudden death. When players tie after 72 holes, they replay the famous 18th hole at TPC Scottsdale, the same amphitheater where 200,000 fans witnessed the regulation finish.

All of the tied players play at the same time, going back to the 18th hole until someone gets the lowest score. The first birdie wins. First par, then others bogey wins. It’s the most intense pressure in golf, where one swing can mean the difference between winning and losing in front of the loudest crowd.

The 18th hole becomes both familiar and foreign under playoff conditions. Players who just navigated it in regulation must immediately reset and face the same 332-yard par-4 with everything on the line. Muscle memory meets maximum pressure, one small mistake ends the dream, while one perfect swing delivers glory

WM Phoenix Open 2026 leaderboard: Gotterup forces overtime

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Chris Gotterup shot a closing 64 to get into the playoff at 16 under. The 26-year-old made five birdies in the final six holes, a finishing kick that erased a seven-shot deficit and forced sudden death. Playing in just his third start of 2026, Gotterup was hunting his second PGA Tour win.

Even though he played it safe down the stretch, Hideki Matsuyama tied Gotterup at 16-under (268 total). His scorecard of 68-64-68-68 is exactly the same total as Gotterup’s (63-71-70-64), even though Matsuyama was in the lead for most of the last round. Before that playoff putt missed, the Japanese star was looking for his third PGA Tour win of the season.

Scottie Scheffler and Akshay Bhatia are tied for third place with 269 strokes, or 15 under. Scheffler shot a 64 in the last round to move up from T3 to second place, but Gotterup’s late heroics pushed him back down. Bhatia shot a steady 67 on Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to catch the leaders. Both players finished just one shot short of the playoffs.

Below them, the battle intensifies. Si Woo Kim and several others cluster at 14-under. While Michael Thorbjornsen, Nicolai Hojgaard, and Jake Knapp delivered competitive Sunday rounds to claim spots in the top ten.

Matt Fitzpatrick finished ninth with a score of 13-under (271), while Pierceson Coody and Viktor Hovland tied for tenth with a score of 12-under (272). Coody’s final-round 68 and Hovland’s matching score showed that they were both consistent, but neither made a serious charge on Sunday. The top ten shows how close the margins are between winning and losing on the PGA Tour.

Chris Gotterup birdied the first playoff hole at the WM Phoenix Open to capture his second PGA Tour win in three starts. The clutch finish extended his FedEx Cup lead and launched him into the world’s top ten for the first time.