Scottie Scheffler at risk of failing to make the cut at the Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Scottie Scheffler mishit a chip shot on the par-4 18th, displaying an unusual moment of frustration as he tapped the shaft of his wedge against his legs while the ball rolled back to him.

When he repeated the mistake on No. 8, the world’s top-ranked player raised his hand in disbelief and muttered to himself as he walked away with another bogey.

Scheffler began his quest for a third consecutive PGA Tour victory with a shaky performance, posting a 2-over 73 in the opening round of the Phoenix Open on Thursday.

This disappointing round left Scheffler 10 strokes behind Chris Gotterup’s early lead and placed him at risk of missing the cut for the first time in over three years.

Scheffler concluded his 2025 season with a victory in Napa, California, and kicked off this season by winning The American Express in Palm Desert, California, marking his 20th PGA Tour win. He had recorded 33 consecutive rounds under par, with his last round of even-par or worse occurring in Round 3 of the Travelers in June (2 over).

Entering the Phoenix Open, Scheffler was favored to secure a third title at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium course, following his back-to-back wins from 2022-23.

However, his attempt did not unfold as anticipated, even with favorable scoring conditions.

Scheffler started strong, making a birdie on the par-4 10th after hitting within three feet. He quickly followed with a bogey on the next hole when he failed to get up and down, then recorded two birdies around a bogey at the lengthy par-4 14th.

He added another birdie on 17 before the round began to deteriorate.

The double chip on No. 18 resulted in a bogey, a three-putt on No. 1 added another, and a double bogey occurred on No. 2 when he struggled on the 449-yard hole.

Scheffler pushed his drive into the right fairway bunker on the par-4, could only advance the ball 54 yards into the left rough, and hit his third shot short of the green. He was unable to get up and down, resulting in a double bogey that brought him to 2 over.

A birdie on No. 3 and the misplayed chip bogey at No. 8 concluded a 3-over 38 on his second nine, leaving Scheffler in need of a low round on Friday to avoid missing his first cut since the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Following his round, Scheffler went to the range, seeking to discover something that would help him maintain the PGA Tour’s longest-active streak of cuts made at 65.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.