Chris Gotterup’s victory at the WM Phoenix Open was decided by a single swing in extra holes. He surged past two-time champion Hideki Matsuyama, who was in control of the leaderboard until his meltdown on the 18th hole. Gotterup then went on to birdie the first playoff hole to win his 2nd PGA Tour title of the season. Another defining moment of the day came few minutes after his victory. During the post-round interview, when Amanda Balionis held the microphone and steered the conversation beyond golf, emotions took over.

When Balionis asked the 26-year-old whether it was him playing without a worry after the Sony Open win that reflected on the greens, he immediately replied, “I really have no idea. I’m just having such a good time playing right now — you make me cry every time. My girlfriend is here. She’s like, you’ve won three times without me here, and she got to see it, and I know everyone at home is watching. Just so awesome.”

As Balionis’ following questions struck a familiar nerve, Gotterup struggled to hold back tears. The CBS reporter went on to heap more praise on him,  pointing out how he delivered in the biggest moments when his ‘back is against the wall.’ She asked where that ability came from.

He then moved on to add, “You know, a lot of hard work. There’s just so many people that believe in me, and to be able to share it with them — I won’t be able to get through it. It’s just so much fun.”

The American forced a playoff with a late surge. Matsuyama had managed to carry the lead deep into the fourth day until he found water off the tee in the most crucial moment. Gotterup took advantage of the situation as he sealed the title on the first extra hole. It was his fourth overall PGA Tour win and the golfer will be taking home the big $1.73M payout. 

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Praising Gotterup’s impeccable, triumphant run, Balionis took to her Instagram handle and posted, “Are you kidding me?? An unbelievable finish by @chrisgotterup who has now officially won half of the tournaments to start the year.”

She further shared her analysis of the match play and added, “An incredible approach on 18 in requlation to birdie 5 of his last 6 and get into a playoff with Matsuyama then led to a 27ft birdie putt on the first playoff hole to claim the emotional victory. As Nantz said, “He has guts… but with a heart”, and that sums up Gotterup perfectly.”

Gotterup, however, had to put up a strong showdown to move the course of the game towards him. Not only did he face strong competition from Matsuyama, but the world’s number 1, Scottie Scheffler, too, held on to the leading positions in the beginning.

Hideki Matsuyama is let down by last-minute distractions 

The raucous behavior at “The People’s Open” came to a head during the final moments at TPC Scottsdale. Hideki Matsuyama had to battle distractions twice on the 18th hole, once in regulation and once during the playoff. The first time around, it was a loud scream from someone in the crowd. Minutes later, during the playoff, the Japanese pro had started his downswing when a loud thud made him step away.  According to Gabby Herzig from the Athletic, the noise came from a security person accidentally dropping a chair. 

After bagging his second win of this season, Gotterup himself reflected on the match play and stated, “I mean, I knew I needed to make birdie on 18, but you never know. Hideki was playing great. 17 is birdieable, but there’s also some danger out there. I just figured I’d stay loose, and I didn’t think this would happen, especially after Friday and Saturday. But here we are.”

While Matsuyama has been ruling the event since the beginning, Scheffler struggled with a slow start in the beginning. Despite that, the World No. 1 surged on Sunday with a bogey-free 7-under 64, highlighted by a spectacular 72-foot birdie putt from off the green on the 14th hole. 

Reflecting on his performance, Scheffler added, “I put myself in a tough position after the first round, but three really solid days. Today was another really good round. I’m going to fall a few shots short it looks like, but overall proud of the fight this week and did some good stuff. I played pretty well.”

He further shared how it was only a single round where he failed to exhibit his best stance.

“If I get in the house the first day a couple under par, it’s a little different story today. Overall, proud of the way I fought the last three days to give myself a chance”, said Scheffler.

The four-time Major champion finished in a tie for third (T3) alongside Michael Thorbjornsen, Akshay Bhatia, and Si Woo Kim with a total score of 15-under par (269).