Scheffler, Hovland Surge Up Phoenix Open Leaderboard, Chase Matsuyama

Hideki Matsuyama leads at 13-under, but several contenders are closing in with one round left to play.

Feb. 7, 2026 at 9:15pm

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The 2026 WM Phoenix Open is heating up as the competition tightens heading into the final round. Hideki Matsuyama currently leads the field at 13-under, but several golfers have surged up the leaderboard, including Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler, Nicolai Højgaard and Michael Thorbjornsen.

Why it matters

The WM Phoenix Open is one of the PGA Tour's most high-profile events, drawing large crowds and intense competition. Matsuyama has a chance to join an elite group by winning the tournament for a third time, but a number of top players are within striking distance, setting up an exciting conclusion to the tournament.

The details

Hovland entered Saturday 3-under but finished the day 6-under, moving him to 9-under on the weekend. Scheffler, the world No. 1, sits 8-under and tied for 16th place, but as a two-time champion, he knows he can make a run on Sunday. Højgaard posted a 65 in round three and is now tied for second at 12-under, one behind Matsuyama. Thorbjornsen got off to a hot start on Saturday and is now tied for sixth after a 6-under round.

  • Hovland entered Saturday 3-under, two strokes inside the cut line.
  • Scheffler entered Saturday's round at 4-under.
  • Højgaard began his Saturday round at 6-under.

The players

Hideki Matsuyama

A two-time WM Phoenix Open champion who leads the field at 13-under heading into the final round.

Viktor Hovland

Finished Saturday's round 6-under, moving him to 9-under on the weekend and tied for 11th place.

Scottie Scheffler

The world No. 1 golfer, who is 8-under and tied for 16th place, but knows he can make a run on Sunday as a two-time champion of the event.

Nicolai Højgaard

Posted a 65 in round three, moving him to 12-under and into a tie for second place, one stroke behind Matsuyama.

Michael Thorbjornsen

Got off to a hot start on Saturday and is now tied for sixth after a 6-under round.

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What they’re saying

“For the majority of the day (there) was hardly any wind. I felt like (the greens were) pretty gettable, but at the same time, if you short-side yourself and miss a few putts, it's tough to shoot low.”

— Viktor Hovland (azpbs.org)

“I've had a lot of scoring irons in (my) hand and I've just been hitting them to 20, 25 feet. So I would like to get a little bit tighter tomorrow, but my game has been feeling really solid all week.”

— Nicolai Højgaard (azpbs.org)

“Hit one close on 1, missed. But made birdie on 2, birdie on 3, and birdie on 4. Kind of something that … I wasn't really able to do the first two days.”

— Michael Thorbjornsen (azpbs.org)

What’s next

Matsuyama, a two-time WM Phoenix Open champion, has the opportunity to join a short list of players to win it three times. However, with the field still tight, the final round on Sunday is wide open for any of the contenders to make a move and take home the championship.

The takeaway

The 2026 WM Phoenix Open is shaping up to be an exciting conclusion, with several top golfers making a push to catch the leader Hideki Matsuyama. The competition at the top of the leaderboard is fierce, setting the stage for an intense final round on Sunday.