The Five: Top storylines at WM Phoenix Open
6 Min Read
It’s coined “The People’s Open” for a reason. The WM Phoenix Open is perpetually known as one of the most memorable stops on the PGA TOUR calendar, featuring a raucous environment that has broadened the notoriety of the event, and an increasingly competitive field that has elevated its importance.
To prep for what will surely be another memorable WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, here’s a look at the top five storylines for the week.
1. Scottie Scheffler looks to hit his stride
The WM Phoenix Open and Scottie Scheffler are a match made in heaven. History tells us that those who play well at TPC Scottsdale are apt to repeat it, and nobody has become a bigger horse for specific courses – including this week’s track – than Scheffler over the last three years.
If it feels like there’s a wave of Scheffler dominance every year around this time, well, there is. Ten of Scheffler’s 13 TOUR wins have come between February and April, including two victories at this week’s WM Phoenix Open. His next few starts will include the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, THE PLAYERS Championship and the Masters, all tournaments Scheffler has won more than once.

Scottie Scheffler, caddie conversation on No. 18 at Pebble Beach
So, rejoice, it’s the start of another Scheffler season! His season debut at last week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am shouldn’t dissuade any expectations. Scheffler finished in a tie for ninth and led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, despite not swinging a club for weeks after injuring his hand in the offseason. Scheffler’s one weakness was his performance around the greens, but as the competitive rust continues to wear away, one of the best short-game players in the world will likely return to that level.
So, can Scheffler win a third WM Phoenix Open title and spark another run? He’s far-and-away the betting favorite, matching his standing in the sport.
2. Luke Clanton is one cut away from TOUR card
Hotshot amateur Luke Clanton could have his TOUR card by Friday afternoon. The standout Florida State junior is in the field on a sponsor exemption and is just one made cut away from reaching the 20-point PGA TOUR University Accelerated threshold, which, if achieved, earns him the ability to take up TOUR membership after the conclusion of the college season.
Clanton has made 8-of-10 cuts in his TOUR career, twice finishing runner-up along with two other top 10s. He’s amassed a consistent display of competence that rivals any amateur in recent memory. Others like Nick Dunlap made a bigger splash with a victory, but Clanton has displayed a weekly floor that projects him as one of the most pro-ready amateurs of this generation.
A majority of his 19 Accelerated Points have come via his performance on TOUR. He most recently gained his 18th point with a made cut at the Farmers Insurance Open. He earned a 19th point earlier this week by way of his 26th career week as No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, making way for "The People’s Open" to possibly serve as Clanton’s coming out party.
If Clanton reaches the 20-point threshold, he will have the option to take membership after the 2025 spring collegiate season. He can also defer his status until after his senior year, as Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent did a year ago.
3. Bounce-back chance for pair of stumbling stars
A bad first month on the PGA TOUR is hardly irreversible, nor is it long enough to truly call a slump.
A better characterization would be stumble, and two of the top Americans in the world – Sahith Theegala and Max Homa – have a chance to correct course after early-season stumbles.
Theegala, like Scheffler, has shown a sticky affinity for TPC Scottsdale. He broke through in front of a national stage in 2022, contending on Sunday and ultimately finishing T3. He finished T5 last year, as well. The course fits him well, where he can show off his strong approach play and short-game prowess while not needing to worry too heavily on any accuracy shortcomings off the tee. But through the first month of the year, Theegala’s typical strengths have disappeared. Theegala ranks 117th in SG: Off the Tee and 118th in both SG: Approach and SG: Around the Green. Simply put, Theegala is playing like a below-average TOUR pro. Can Theegala find his mojo inside the comfy confines of TPC Scottsdale? Nobody would be surprised, if so. If he struggles, the concerns will only grow louder.

Sahith Theegala joins Happy Hour with Smylie Kaufman at The Sentry
Homa hasn’t had the same high-end results in Phoenix as Theegala, but he’s been remarkably consistent throughout his career. He’s made the cut in five of six appearances with two top 10s.
Like Theegala, Homa has struggled with his approach play in 2025. Homa ranks 173rd in Strokes Gained: Approach. The American should be owed some grace, he switched coaches and equipment in the offseason, changes that take time to implement. But at some point, the results need to follow and Homa has dropped outside the top 50 in the world, without a top 10 since last May.
4. Aon Swing 5
The final round of the WM Phoenix Open will have broader implications than who will emerge as the next PGA TOUR winner. The results directly impact who will play The Genesis Invitational, the third Signature Event of the season.
Five spots in next week’s field remain up for grabs through the Aon Swing 5, a collection of the top five players not exempt via a higher category, who accumulate the most FedExCup points during the tournaments between Signature Events. For The Genesis Invitational, that includes the points accumulated only from the 2025 Full-Field Events.
Here’s a look at the current projections:
1. Sam Stevens
2. J.J. Spaun
3. Andrew Novak
4. Justin Lower
5. Lee Hodges
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6. Charley Hoffman
7. Kris Ventura
8. Adam Schenk
9. Alex Smalley
10. Beau Hossler
5. Can Sepp Straka maintain form?
The Austrian’s resume wasn’t light entering 2025 as a two-time TOUR winner and Ryder Cup participant, but his start to the year is making an argument that there is a ceiling Straka has yet to realize.
Straka won The American Express running away, then led the star-studded AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. If he hadn’t been battling a sickness that ultimately caught up with him on the weekend at Pebble, Straka might’ve been entering this week with back-to-back victories. He’s No. 1 in the current FedExCup and rose to a career-high 16th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
The WM Phoenix Open is the next box to check, if only because it’s a place Straka has historically struggled. He’s finished CUT-CUT-T66 in three appearances and hasn’t played since 2022. A strong showing at a course that he hasn’t favored would be another arrow in his quiver and push him further toward a breakthrough 2025 campaign.