SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Akshay Bhatia carded a steady 4-under-par 68 on Sunday to finish tied for third at the WM Phoenix Open, while Sahith Theegala closed tied for 18th after a late bogey but later secured a spot in an upcoming Signature Event.
Bhatia quietly climbed the leaderboard with a composed final round, recording five birdies against a lone bogey to post his best result in recent weeks. The finish marked a timely rebound after consecutive missed cuts and provided a confidence boost ahead of the PGA Tour’s high-stakes Signature Event stretch.
Theegala appeared to suffer a costly setback after bogeying the 72nd hole, initially leaving him outside automatic qualification for the next two $20 million Signature Events. Relief came later in the evening when he received a sponsor exemption into the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. While he did not qualify automatically for both limited-field tournaments, the exemption ensures his strong early-season form will carry into Pebble Beach.
At the top of the leaderboard, Chris Gotterup surged late, birdieing five of his final six holes for a closing 7-under 64 to set the clubhouse lead at 16-under. He then waited as Hideki Matsuyama, holding a one-shot advantage, bogeyed the 18th hole to force a playoff.
The playoff was settled quickly. Matsuyama again ran into trouble off the tee on the 18th, while Gotterup took advantage by rolling in a 27-foot birdie putt to claim his second victory of the 2026 season and the fourth of his career. Matsuyama, a two-time winner at TPC Scottsdale, was left frustrated by another late slip.
Another player of Indian origin in the field, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, closed with a 73 to finish tied for 54th.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler mounted a strong weekend charge after opening with a 73. A second-round 65 extended his PGA Tour-leading cuts streak to 66, and he remained in contention through Sunday. Scheffler picked up six birdies in the final round, including a remarkable 72-foot putt from the fringe on the 14th, but narrowly missed forcing a playoff after failing to convert a birdie chance on the closing hole.
With the Phoenix Open complete, Bhatia heads into the next phase of the season with renewed momentum, while Theegala departs with solid form and a key opportunity at Pebble Beach despite a disappointing finish to his week. (Source: IANS)
