Matt Fitzpatrick came out firing at TPC Scottsdale on Thursday, birdieing seven of his first eight holes in a front-nine blitz that had him flirting with the course record. But after a scorching start, the Englishman cooled off just enough to slip two shots off the lead by day’s end at the Phoenix Open.
Fitzpatrick carded a front-nine 29 - a number that jumps off the page no matter the venue - and added another birdie at the par-3 12th to move to eight under with six holes to play. At that point, it looked like he might run away with the first-round lead. But golf, as it tends to do, had other ideas.
Bogeys on his final two holes - including a stumble at the par-4 9th - brought Fitzpatrick back to six under for the day, good for solo second behind Chris Gotterup. Still, it was a strong opening statement from the 2022 U.S. Open champ, who’s looking to make an early-season push on the PGA Tour.
“If someone said, here is six under to start the day and I can stay in bed, I would have snatched your hand off,” Fitzpatrick said afterward. “I’m in a good position to start with and hopefully kick on.”
Interestingly, Fitzpatrick felt he actually hit it better coming home, even as the birdies dried up.
“I could argue I actually played better on my back nine than my front nine, to be honest,” he said. “I felt like I gave myself a few more mid-range putts to make birdies and just didn’t quite make them.”
The man everyone’s chasing after Day 1? That would be Gotterup, who followed up his win at the season-opener in Hawaii with a clean, clinical 63. The American poured in six birdies and an eagle without a blemish on the card - a round that speaks to a player riding serious momentum.
Meanwhile, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finds himself in unfamiliar territory: outside the projected cut line.
Scheffler posted a two-over round that included three bogeys spread across both nines. He started on the back and made a mess of the par-4 18th, then repeated the mistake on the eighth, where frustration boiled over with a rare show of emotion - a visible hand-raise in disbelief after another miscue around the green.
Scheffler, typically a model of consistency, hasn’t missed a cut since the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship. He’ll need a sharp turnaround Friday if he wants to keep that streak alive.
Elsewhere on the leaderboard, the European contingent made a strong showing. Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard sits in a tie for third at five under, joined by three others. His brother, Rasmus Højgaard, is two back of that group at three under, while fellow Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen split the difference at four under.
England’s John Parry also made a move, finishing at three under with two holes still to play after darkness halted his round.
And don’t overlook Hideki Matsuyama. The former Masters champion is lurking at four under, part of a crowded group of 14 players who are well within striking distance heading into Friday.
The stage is set for a wild weekend in the desert. Fitzpatrick’s early fireworks, Gotterup’s hot hand, and Scheffler’s surprising stumble have already given this year’s Phoenix Open plenty of intrigue - and we’re only through Round 1.