Japanese Duo Lead WM Phoenix Open as Scheffler Rebounds With 65
- Miami Living AI
- 32 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Japanese golfers Ryo Hisatsune and Hideki Matsuyama seized control of the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on Friday, moving to the top of the leaderboard after standout second rounds, while world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler rebounded from a poor opening day and two-time champion Brooks Koepka missed the cut in his second event since returning to PGA TOUR competition.
Ryo Hisatsune/Photo/PGA Tour
Japanese Stars Lead
Ryo Hisatsune turned the WM Phoenix Open into a showcase on Friday with a bogey-free 8-under 63 to reach 11-under 131, taking a one-shot lead into the weekend.
The 23-year-old produced a decisive mid-round surge, playing a five-hole stretch in 6 under. At the par-4 17th, he drove into the water but recovered by chipping in for birdie. Earlier, he eagled the par-5 15th and added a birdie at the stadium-style par-3 16th, drawing sustained roars from the TPC Scottsdale crowd.
Two-time WM Phoenix Open champion Hideki Matsuyama applied pressure with a 6-under 64, finishing the day one shot behind Hisatsune at 10 under.
Matsuyama closed his round in formidable fashion, playing his final six holes in 6 under as part of a back-nine 30. He holed a 29-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th, added a two-putt birdie at the drivable par-4 17th and finished with another birdie at the 18th. His precise iron play repeatedly left approach shots inside 10 feet, fueling a stretch of six consecutive birdies that underlined his long-standing comfort at TPC Scottsdale.
First-round leader Chris Gotterup slipped back with an even-par 71 and is tied for third at 8 under alongside Pierceson Coody, who posted a 68. Matt Fitzpatrick remained within reach of the lead as the chasing pack clustered behind the Japanese duo.
Scheffler’s Strong Response
Scottie Scheffler, the pre-tournament favorite and two-time winner at TPC Scottsdale, responded to an opening-round 73 with a bogey-free 6-under 65 to move to 4 under, seven shots off the lead but comfortably inside the cut.
Scheffler’s turnaround followed an adjustment to his grip after Thursday’s round, when he recorded five bogeys, a double bogey and two mis-hit chips. On Friday he hit 16 of 18 greens despite finding only nine fairways and totaled more than 70 feet of made putts, including a closing 3-footer for birdie at the 18th to extend his PGA TOUR-leading consecutive cuts made streak to 65.
Koepka Exits Early
Brooks Koepka, a two-time WM Phoenix Open champion, missed the cut at 2 over despite switching putters earlier in the week.
Koepka lost roughly 2.4 strokes on the greens relative to the field and will not feature on the weekend in only his second start since returning to PGA TOUR competition.
Several high-profile players survived a busy cutline. Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa advanced on the number, while Sahith Theegala and Min Woo Lee each shot 65, Tom Kim closed with a 66 and Rickie Fowler carded a 68 to move safely into weekend play.
Leaderboard At Halfway
After two rounds at TPC Scottsdale, Hisatsune holds the outright lead at 11 under, one stroke ahead of Matsuyama at 10 under.
Gotterup and Pierceson Coody share third at 8 under, with Akshay Bhatia, Si Woo Kim, John Parry, Sahith Theegala and Matt Fitzpatrick among the group at 7 under. Scheffler is part of the chasing pack at 4 under as the field heads into the weekend.
Showdown At 16
In the buildup to the 2026 WM Phoenix Open, the PGA TOUR staged a special “Showdown at 16” under the lights at the iconic par-3 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale, featuring eight content creators in a closest-to-the-pin contest.
Fans can watch the trailer and stream the full Showdown at 16 presented by DraftKings on YouTube here beginning Saturday at 10 a.m. ET.
How To Watch
Television coverage of the WM Phoenix Open continues over the weekend on CBS, GOLF Channel, Paramount+ and ESPN+, with broadcast windows spanning late morning through early evening in Eastern Standard Time.
PGA TOUR Radio is available on SiriusXM channel 92 and is complimentary within the official PGA TOUR app. Streaming coverage via PGA TOUR LIVE requires a subscription, with full details available on PGATOUR.com.