When the Game’s Best Stumble, Hungry Youngsters Thrive: What Thursday’s Phoenix Open Really Tells Us
I’ve been around this tour long enough to know that one scorching round in the Arizona heat doesn’t make or break anybody’s season. But what happened Thursday at TPC Scottsdale? That’s worth paying attention to. Not because Chris Gotterup shot 63—though that’s plenty impressive—but because of what his meteoric rise tells us about where professional golf is heading, and what it means when a generational talent like Scottie Scheffler suddenly looks mortal.
Let me be straight with you: I’ve caddied in majors, covered 15 Masters, and watched tour dynamics shift more times than I can count. What strikes me most about Gotterup’s emergence isn’t just his scoring prowess. It’s his hunger, his clarity, and his willingness to learn from failure. The kid missed the cut here twice before. Most 26-year-olds would write off TPC Scottsdale and move on. Instead, he came back this week with a specific mission.
“I don’t know if the course has changed at all. I just feel like I’ve been playing better and managing my game better. We were flying back from GTL and I was like, I need to see Saturday here this week.”
That’s not cockiness. That’s professional maturity. That’s a player who understands the mental side of tournament golf—sometimes you just need to prove something to yourself. In my experience, those are the guys who stick around and win multiple times. Gotterup already has three PGA Tour wins in three seasons. Three. That’s not luck; that’s a player entering his prime with the kind of trajectory we haven’t seen since… well, since Scottie himself was ascending.
The Scheffler Question
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. A 2-over 73 from the world’s top-ranked player isn’t a crisis. It’s one round. But in 35 years of covering this game, I’ve learned to read the tea leaves when the best player in the field doesn’t go low on a day when 26 other guys shot 68 or better. That’s a statistical outlier worth examining.
“The four-time player of the year flubbed two chip shots that rolled back to his feet during a 2-over 73 that put his streak of 65 cuts in jeopardy.”
Scheffler flubbing chips. Not missing them—flubbing them. Those are the kind of mechanical breakdowns that usually signal either fatigue or a temporary loss of confidence. After the year he’s had, I’m inclined toward the former. What interests me more is whether this is correctable noise or early warning. My gut says noise. Scheffler’s a different animal when he has 18 more holes to work through a problem.
But here’s what matters: if the world’s best player shoots 73 while a dozen others go low, the field tightens psychologically. Suddenly, guys who might normally be intimidated by Scheffler’s presence start thinking they belong in contention. They should.
A Vintage Desert Day
The conditions Thursday were rare for Phoenix—warm even by desert standards. That meant length off the tee and reduced air density. In other words, ideal scoring conditions. Matt Fitzpatrick’s back-nine 29 to shoot 65 was a masterclass in feast-or-famine golf.
“If someone would’ve said here is 6 under to start day and I can stay in bed, I would’ve snatched your hand off. I’m in a good position to start with and hopefully kick on.”
Fitzpatrick’s comment reflects healthy perspective, but it also hints at something I’ve noticed: the 2022 U.S. Open champion has been searching for that winning formula since his last victory at Hilton Head in 2023. A strong opening round here could be the spark he needs. That’s how this game works sometimes—momentum is as real as the scorecard.
The Bigger Picture
What happened Thursday at TPC Scottsdale matters because it reinforces a trend I’ve been watching closely: the tour’s depth is genuinely improving. The old guard—your Schefflers, your Koepkas—are still among the best. But the margin between first and tenth is shrinking. There are no gimmes anymore. Every round requires your A-game.
Gotterup’s third win in three seasons, Fitzpatrick’s resurgence attempt, Scheffler’s rare off day—these aren’t disconnected events. They’re symptoms of a tour that’s more competitive, more unpredictable, and ultimately more entertaining than it’s been in years.
Thursday’s scoring summary tells the story: 26 players shot 68 or better before darkness suspended play. In my early years covering the tour, that would’ve been shocking. Now? That’s Thursday at a tour event with favorable conditions. The talent level across the field has simply elevated.
Brooks Koepka’s rough start (a 75 in his second tournament back) should concern him more than it concerns us. But for everyone else? Thursday was a reminder that on any given day, if you’re playing well and thinking clearly, you belong in this conversation. And sometimes, that’s all a hungry 26-year-old from the Garden State needs to hear.
