As the 2026 WM Phoenix Open heads into Saturday’s third round at TPC Scottsdale, the leaderboard has taken shape and the weekend field is set. After two rounds of unpredictable golf and packed galleries, the remaining competitors are ready to jockey for position on a course where momentum can shift in an instant.
The third round pairings offer a mix of star power, rising contenders and intriguing storylines to watch as the tournament charges toward Sunday.
Tee #1 Pairings
9:23 a.m. – Takumi Kanaya, Mac Meissner, Tom Kim
9:34 a.m. – Ryan Fox, Scottie Scheffler, Zecheng Dou
9:45 a.m. – Rasmus Hojgaard, Daniel Berger, Ben Griffin
9:56 a.m. – Chad Ramey, Sami Valimaki, Sudarshan Yellamaraju
10:07 a.m. – Michaeal Thorbjornsen, Davis Thompson, A.J. Ewart
10:18 a.m. – Max Homa, Brian Campbell, Mackenzie Hughes
10:29 a.m. – Chandler Phillips, Kristoffer Reltan, Rasmus Neergaard-Peter
10:40 a.m. – Nicolai Hojgaard, Michael Kim, Jake Knapp
10:51 a.m. – Maverick McNealy, Zach Bauchou, Kevin Roy
11:02 a.m. – Sam Stevens, Stephen Jaeger, Min Woo Lee
11:13 a.m. – John Parry, Sahith Theegala, Matt Fitzpatrick
11:24 a.m. – Chris Gotterup, Akshay Bhatia, Si Woo Kim
11:35 a.m. – Ryo Hisatsune, Hideki Matsuyama, Pierceson Coody
Tee #10 Pairings
9:23 a.m. – Keith Mitchell, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Young
9:34 a.m. – Rickie Fowler, Neal Shipley, Adrien Saddier
9:45 a.m. – Max McGreevy, Nick Taylor, Harris English
9:56 a.m. – Michael Brennan, Jacob Bridgeman, Rico Hoey
10:07 a.m. – Cam Davis, Jordan Smith, Christo Lamprecht
10:18 a.m. – Sepp Straka, Kurt Kitayama, Joe Highsmith
10:29 a.m. – Patrick Rodgers, Gary Woodland, John VanDerLaan
10:40 a.m. – Keita Nakajima, S.H. Kim, J.T. Poston
10:51 a.m. – Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Hank Lebloda
11:02 a.m. – Johnny Kiefer, Patton Kizzire, Bud Cauley
11:13 a.m. – Wyndham Clark, Alex Smalley
11:24 a.m. – S.T. Lee, Kensei Hirata
Players to Watch
With the leaderboard tightening and several big names already out of contention, these golfers are worth the spotlight as the weekend unfolds.
Ryo Hisatsune – Quiet But Dangerous Leader
At the top of the leaderboard sits Hisatsune, whose calm, composed play has put him in position to potentially win his first PGA Tour title. On Friday, Hisatsune demonstrated excellent course management and clutch putting, pairing consistent ball-striking with savvy decision-making, and he’ll now get to test that form alongside one of his golfing idols.
“It’s some dreams on my pairing,” Hisatsune said after learning he’d be paired with Matsuyama on Saturday.
Scottie Scheffler – Power and Form Reemerging
While not in the immediate lead, Scheffler is unquestionably one of the players most capable of surging up the leaderboard. The former world No. 1 had a shaky start earlier in the week, but rebounded enough to make the cut and keep his Phoenix hopes alive.
Hideki Matsuyama – Experience and Past Success
Although not mentioned specifically in the ESPN update, Matsuyama remains a dangerous threat after his strong performance Friday. A two-time winner of this event, Matsuyama’s experience in handling the unique crowd dynamics and scoring opportunities at the Phoenix Open gives him an edge. His ability to take advantage of scoring stretches — seen in his late-round birdie runs earlier this week — means he could be a key player throughout the weekend.
Beyond the headline contenders, several other players could make noise on Saturday, including T. Kim, whose mix of aggression and distance off the tee can lead to birdie-fest rounds when everything clicks, along with Coody, who has been quietly consistent and capable of posting low numbers when opportunities present themselves. Dou also remains one to watch, as his steady play could keep him firmly in contention with a clean third round at TPC Scottsdale.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Saturday Pairings Locked In at Phoenix Open With Wide-Open Weekend Ahead appeared first on Heavy Sports.