After Saturday’s third round, the chances were good, with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune, England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and John Parry, Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard and his twin brother Rasmus, as well as South Korea’s Si Woo Kim, Norway’s Viktor Hovland and Australia’s Min Woo Lee all hovering near the top after 54 holes.
But don’t count out Americans Maverick McNealy, Michael Thorbjornsen, Jake Knapp, Akshay Bhatia, Chris Gotterup and Pierceson Coody, who are among 15 golfers in the top 11 over three days.
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And let’s not forget Scottie Scheffler. The world No. 1 is tied for 16th and just five shots off the lead after a 4-under 67.
But more important than the variety of national flags next to all the names in the classification are the numbers. There are nine players within two shots of the lead, 15 golfers within four and 21 golfers within six with 18 holes left to play.
Who leads the WM Phoenix Open 2026?
Matsuyama shot his third straight round in the 60s on Saturday, however, his 68 was close to being a 65, but some missed opportunities down the stretch kept the others in it. He had birdie putts inside 15 feet on the 14th, 17th and 18th holes, but couldn’t capitalize on them. Still, he is in position to win the Phoenix Open for the third time. He had become the fifth three-time winner in the event’s history and the third since the tournament moved to TPC Scottsdale in 1987.
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“Yes, today was a great day. It’s the first time Japan has had two Japanese professionals playing in a final group,” he said through his interpreter. “I was hoping we could do it tomorrow, but again, I hope tomorrow we can play well and stay on top.”
Players flock behind the leader at WM Phoenix Open
Hisatsune, who called it a “dream” to play in the same group as fellow Japanese pro Matsuyama, missed the chance to play with his idol again on Sunday. Hisatsune threw his approach to the 18th into a greenside bunker and failed to make a down, missing an eight-foot shot for par. That left him at 12 under, one of four golfers tied for second place at 12 under, one stroke back. Hisatsune tied for second a week ago at the Farmers Insurance Open, a career-high for the 23-year-old.
But if he had made par on 18, the WM Phoenix Open would have had the first final group of two Japanese players in PGA Tour history.
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“He’s won the Masters and he’s won the PGA 11 times, which is very different for me,” Hisatsune said. “But more than anything chasing Hideki tomorrow (Sunday), like starting today too. Yes, very good game.”
Las Vegas-based McNealy is also tied for second in a course he knows and likes to play. He has finished in the top 10 in each of the last two years at TPC Scottsdale and enters Sunday’s final round one stroke back.
“It feels a little bit like home. Scottsdale and Summerlin are pretty similar,” he said. “It’s a golf course that really tests the two strengths of my game, which are driving and speed putting. I just enjoy it. It’s a lot of fun. I really like Scottsdale as a place to be during the week, but it’s also a fun atmosphere that we have once a year.”
Nicolai Hojgaard birdied five of his last six to shoot 65.6 under par and move to 12 under par, the third member of the second-place group.
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Si Woo Kim is the fourth golfer with 12 under par. He almost got two eagles on Saturday. He hit a three on the par-5 third and after driving the green on the 17th, he had a 39-foot shot for eagle but missed. Still, a birdie took him to 12 under and one shot back.
The four golfers who are two shots behind at 11 under par and tied for sixth place include Matt Fitzpatrick, who hit every fairway and every green during the first 12 holes on Saturday. But he also had one of three double bogeys on the par-3 16th hole Saturday after his tee shot went into a bunker and then needed three putts to hole out. Still, he’s two behind with 18 to go.
Also at 11 under through 54 holes are Michael Thorbjornsen, Jake Knapp and Akshay Bhatia.
Of the 15 golfers four shots behind the leader, seven are seeking their first victory on the PGA Tour: the Hojgaard brothers, McNealy, Hisatsune, Thorbjornsen, Parry and Coody.
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Statistics for Saturday at the WM Phoenix Open 2026
On Saturday they make the 16th hole the shortest of the week in an effort to induce aces. He played 126 yards to a front pin in the third round, but there were as many birdies (12) on the par-4 18th as there were on the stadium hole in the third round.
There were no aces in 16 for the third day in a row. Davis Thompson came closest to the flag on Saturday with a tee shot that ended up three feet away, much to the delight of the crowd.
This article originally appeared in Golfweek: WM Phoenix Open 2026 led by Hideki Matsuyama, international players