Chris Gotterup Wins WM Phoenix Open; Patrick Reed Claims Victory at Qatar Masters
The desert winds of Arizona carried a familiar roar this week, but Chris Gotterup managed to quiet the crowd at TPC Scottsdale with his win at the WM Phoenix Open. At one of golf’s loudest venues, the young American found his rhythm when it counted, claiming his first big PGA Tour victory.
WM Phoenix Open: Gotterup’s Breakthrough
Phoenix either breaks players or makes them. For Gotterup, it was the latter. He finished at 17-under par, holding off Hideki Matsuyama, who came in second at 16-under after a disastrous bogey on the 72nd hole dropped him into a tie with Gotterup and forced a playoff. One shot doesn’t look like much on paper, but on Sunday afternoon with everything on the line, it might as well be ten.
The leaderboard had the usual suspects pushing back. Scottie Scheffler was right there in familiar territory, tied for third at 15-under with Michael Thorbjornsen and Akshay Bhatia. But this was Gotterup’s weekend—proof that golf doesn’t always follow the script.
Despite his final hole meltdown and his propensity for spraying the driver all over the property this week, Matsuyama’s second place finish shows why he’s become such a consistent threat on American courses. His patience and putting keeps putting him in these spots, and while he didn’t get the win this time, you know once he figures out the driver issues he’ll be back in contention soon enough.
DP World Tour: Reed Wins in Qatar
Meanwhile in Qatar, Patrick Reed was busy winning the Qatar Masters at 16-under par. Reed found his game in the Middle Eastern heat, where staying sharp in tough conditions can make all the difference. His recent hot streak has LIV fans shouting “Told you so!” in the ongoing debate about where the best players are, despite Reed recently leaving LIV Golf to return to the PGA Tour when he’s eligible in the fall.
He beat Scotland’s Calum Hill by two shots, with Hill finishing at 14-under and continuing to show he belongs among the better players on the European tour. For Reed, it’s another win in what’s been a complicated but undeniably talented career.
Third place went to Johannes Veerman and Jacob Skov Olesen at 13-under, with Sweden’s Sebastian Söderberg finishing fifth at 12-under. The mix of nationalities shows what makes the DP World Tour interesting—players from everywhere coming together to compete.
The Quiet Weekends
Not every weekend brings drama from every tour. The LIV Golf circuit was quiet, as were the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions. These breaks in the schedule aren’t a bad thing. They let the wins that do happen feel more significant.
Golf’s calendar has its rhythm. Some weeks everything happens at once, other weeks are quieter while players regroup. This week belonged to Gotterup and Reed—two Americans finding success on different continents but sharing that moment when all the practice finally pays off.
These victories matter going forward. For Gotterup, maybe this is just the start. For Reed, it’s another reminder that he can still get it done. The crowds have gone home, the Qatar heat has cooled off, but the satisfaction of closing out a win lingers. That’s what keeps players coming back—the chance to do it again next week.