The WM Phoenix Open is the Louvre of people watching. The competition is often secondary.
But not this year.
In 2026, two giant forces convene at our beloved golf tournament. Scottie Scheffler returns to the site of his first career victory on the PGA Tour. He now has 20 of them, and many believe he is on the cusp of an era of Tiger-like dominance.
Scheffler enters a new season rested and healthy, with the benefit of a full offseason workout regimen. He remains the best ball striker on Tour by a mile and is now an elite putter, a combination he’s never had entering a new season. In his first start of the year, Scheffler cruised to a runaway victory at The American Express in California.
Of his 20 career victories, nine have come by four or more strokes. Many inside the ropes are predicting another level of carnage in the coming months. He is exactly what the PGA Tour needs at exactly the right time.
The WM Phoenix Open also marks the return of Brooks Koepka. Like Scheffler, Koepka has won the event twice. But his presence in the field marks a different kind of homecoming. He is the first high-profile athlete to abandon LIV Golf and return to the PGA Tour.
In his first start of the season, Koepka finished in a tie for 56th place at the Farmers Insurance Open. But he made the cut, finished under par, and crossed a giant hurdle. Koepka admitted feeling nervous over his controversial return, of how the media and the fans might react. When asked why he felt so vulnerable, Koepka told reporters the following:
“Just because I care. I think I’ve fallen back in love with the game. And honestly, watching my son play a little bit and wanting to be able to see him watch me, or I guess want him to watch me play well and realize how much this game’s given me, how fun it is and how cool it is just to be out here.”
Koepka has always been a fan favorite at the People’s Open. He has always embraced the crowds and the chaos. His thick-skinned swagger and brash demeanor have always played well on these grounds, a professional golfer who acts more like a football player.
Koepka was also among the traitorous cadre who left the PGA Tour for Saudia riches. Some are worse than others, and Koepka had a better excuse than most, a player worried that mounting injuries had left his earnings potential badly exposed. Meanwhile, his steely performance while accruing five major tournament titles gives him credentials and a resume that are almost unparalleled. He brings some much-needed star power back to the PGA Tour, and my guess is Koepka will get something of a hero’s welcome at TPC Scottsdale.
Unless he misses the green at No. 16. Then all bets are off.
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta mornings from 6–10 a.m. on Arizona Sports.
Follow @danbickley
