WiretoWire: Nick Taylor triumphs at WM Phoenix Open

Nick Taylor rallies to late win at TPC Scottsdale

When Nick Taylor sprinted out of the gates at TPC Scottsdale, firing a course-record 60 at the WM Phoenix Open, many would have thought he could stroll to the finish to claim his fourth TOUR title. But what turned out to be a marathon week in Arizona saw the Canadian rally late on Sunday. Standing on the par-5 15th tee, Taylor found himself three shots back of crowd favorite Charley Hoffman. A birdie at 15, followed by clutch approaches at the par-3 Stadium 16th and the final hole, allowed Taylor to rewrite history from the previous year, where he came up two strokes shy of Scottie Scheffler, and force a playoff with the 47-year-old Hoffman. Taylor, who won his home open dramatically in a playoff at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, would birdie the 18th hole twice more in extra holes and capture “The People’s Open” as the sun set over the Sonoran Desert. “It was a marathon day,” Taylor said after the final putt dropped. “It was a long day. To find my swing a bit in the last nine to 10 holes and to make some birdies was incredible.” The victory earns Taylor 500 FedExCup points and cements him in the Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10.

Tiger returns to The Genesis Invitational

The third of eight Signature Events of the PGA TOUR season begins Thursday at The Genesis Invitational, played at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. Tournament host Tiger Woods will be making his 2024 season debut here. Woods returned to professional golf last December at the Hero World Challenge after missing most of 2023 recovering from right ankle surgery. Woods’ last official PGA TOUR start was the 2023 Masters. FedExCup champion Viktor Hovland and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler highlight the field, which includes the top 50 in last season’s FedExCup standings, the Aon Next 10 and the Aon Swing 5. California kids Max Homa and Collin Morikawa are teeing it up, as well as other players with ties to California including Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler. The stakes are heightened with a larger purse and more FedExCup points (700) up for grabs.

Video of the week

Mic check

“That’s awesome. I'm excited about that. I guess I'm playing next week and not going skiing.”
— Charley Hoffman on earning a spot at The Genesis Invitational via the Aon Swing 5

By the numbers

57 – Cristobal Del Solar shot 57 in the first round of the Astara Golf Championship to break the record for the lowest score ever in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event. One round later, 19-year-old Aldrich Potgieter became the youngest player in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event to break 60 with his second-round 59.

12 –After a 12-year pro golf career, Jim Knous played his final event at the WM Phoenix Open – Monday qualifying and shooting a second-round 66 to make the cut – before switching careers.

3 – With a T3 finish at the WM Phoenix Open, Scottie Scheffler fell just short of completing a three-peat at TPC Scottsdale.

Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10

The Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.