SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Scottie Scheffler stubbed a chip shot on the par-4 18th and showed a rare bit of anger, repeatedly tapping the shaft of his wedge against his legs as the ball rolled back to his feet.
When he did it again on No. 8, the world's No. 1 player threw his hand up in disbelief before muttering to himself as he walked off with another bogey.
Scheffler got off to a shaky start in his bid to win a third straight PGA Tour start, shooting a 2-over 73 in the first round of the Phoenix Open on Thursday.
The frustrating round left Scheffler 10 shots off Chris Gotterup's early lead and put him in danger of missing a cut for the first time in more than three years.
Scheffler closed out his 2025 season with a win in Napa, California, and opened this season by winning the The American Express in Palm Desert, California, for his 20th PGA Tour victory. He had 33 straight rounds under par.
Scheffler arrived at the Phoenix Open as the favorite to win for the third time at TPC Scottdale's Stadium course, with his consecutive wins from 2022-23.
His bid didn't go as planned, even in ideal scoring conditions.
Scheffler got off to a great start, hitting it inside three feet for a birdie on the par-4 10th. He immediately bogeyed the next hole when he couldn't get up and down, then sandwiched two birdies around a bogey at the long par-4 14th.
