The First Look: WM Phoenix Open

The PGA TOUR heads from the picturesque Pacific Ocean vistas of Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach to the electric desert setting that is TPC Scottsdale for the year’s WM Phoenix Open.

And there could be some history in the making.

With two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler looking for a three-peat, along with the final spots for The Genesis Invitational up for grabs via the Aon Swing 5, this is set to be another special week in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Here’s everything you need to know.

FIELD NOTES: Scottie Scheffler is looking to become the first golfer since Steve Stricker to win the same PGA TOUR event three years in a row. Stricker won the John Deere Classic from 2009-11. Viktor Hovland, Sam Burns, Rory McIlroy and K.H. Leeall tried for three-peats last season but fell short. Scheffler also finished seventh at TPC Scottsdale the year prior to rattling off back-to-back victories. Only four players have won three WM Phoenix Open events in the tournament’s 90-plus-year history (Arnold Palmer did so in three consecutive years, 1961-63). Hideki Matsuyama had his own shot at three-peating at the WM Phoenix Open in 2018 but was forced to withdraw due to injury… Competing on a major medical extension, Bud Cauley will make his first start on TOUR since the 2020 Fortinet Championship. Cauley has been on the sidelines for most of the last half decade after suffering injuries in a car accident in 2018. He played in back-to-back events on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this year to shake the competitive rust off and finished T21-T35. He has 27 starts left on his Major Medical Exemption and needs to earn just over 391 points to keep his card… Justin Thomas is back in action coming off two consecutive top 10s with the Aon Swing 5 within grasp. He’s currently 50 points back of the magic number to automatically qualify for The Genesis Invitational via the Aon Swing 5. If Thomas doesn’t qualify via the Aon Swing 5, he will have to rely on his OWGR standing (the top 30 qualify for all Signature Events; Thomas currently sits at No. 19).… Wyndham Clark is back in action after his win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He made the most significant jump in the FedExCup standings of anyone so far this season with his Signature Event victory… Clark is one of six top-10-ranked golfers who are set to tee it up in the desert including Scheffler, Max Homa, Matt Fitzpatrick and Brian Harman.

SIGNATURE EVENT STORYLINES: This is the final event to try to earn a spot in The Genesis Invitational via the Aon Swing 5. Matthieu Pavon, Grayson Murray, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Kevin Yu and Stephan Jaeger are the current top five… Jake Knapp is No. 6 and trails Jaeger by 48 points. Nate Lashley and Thomas are tied with 145 points and trail Jaeger by 50 points… Yu is an ASU grad and lives about 10 minutes from TPC Scottsdale. He’s off to his best career start on the PGA TOUR and is inching closer to achieving his biggest dream of 2024 — representing Chinese Taipei at the Olympics… The Aon Next 10 for The Genesis Invitational was determined via the standings in the FedExCup Fall.

COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10 UPDATES: On the back of his victory at the weather-shortened AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Clark made a massive jump to No. 3 in the Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 from No. 61. This was the biggest jump of any golfer this season in the ranking… Pavon continued his fine play in the early part of this season, backing up his win at Torrey Pines with a third-place finish at Pebble Beach. He is now No. 1 on the Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 and becomes the first Frenchman to do so. Three other golfers made a move into the top 10 after Pebble Beach: Scheffler went from No. 11 to No. 5, Ludvig Åberg zipped from No. 41 to No. 6 after his runner-up result at Pebble Beach, and Jason Day went from No. 22 to No. 10… This is Aberg’s first time in the TOUR TOP 10 in his career… Keegan Bradley is just one point back of Day at No. 11… Five different countries are represented in the Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10.

FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points.

COURSE: TPC Scottsdale, par 71, 7,261 yards. Opened in 1986, the Jay Morrish/Tom Weiskopf design has been the host club of the WM Phoenix Open every year since 1987.

72-HOLE RECORD: 256, Mark Calcavecchia (2001), Phil Mickelson (2013)

18-HOLE RECORD: 60, Grant Waite (Final round, 1996), Mark Calcavecchia (Round 2, 2001), Phil Mickelson (Round 2, 2005; Round 1, 2013).

LAST TIME: Scheffler successfully defended his WM Phoenix Open title after a 6-under 65 in the final round. Nick Taylor kept pace with Scheffler until an ill-timed mishit on the rambunctious par-3 16th led to a late bogey. Scheffler saved his own par with a clutch 15-footer on the same hole and would go on to birdie No. 17. Taylor’s birdie on the 72nd hole of the tournament wasn’t enough as Scheffler won by two shots and returned to No. 1 in the world. It was Scheffler’s fifth TOUR title. He became the seventh person in tournament history to go back-to-back. Jon Rahm finished third, Thomas was fourth and Day was fifth.

HOW TO FOLLOW (all times ET):

Television:

• Thursday-Friday: 4-8 p.m. (Golf Channel)
• Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (NBC)

PGA TOUR Live:

PGA TOUR LIVE is available exclusively on ESPN+

• Main feed: Primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course
• Marquee group: New “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group
• Featured groups: Traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups
• Featured holes: A combination of par 3s and iconic or pivotal holes

PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and free on PGATOUR.COM/liveaudio:

• Thursday-Friday: 2-8 p.m.
• Saturday-Sunday: 1-6 p.m.