Historically speaking, is the WM Phoenix Open a blessing or a curse for the men who took home the championship trophy? It can be both. We examine what happened to five recent champions after they claimed the title.
Scottie Scheffler (2022)
No one has had a hotter post-WM win run than the tall Texan who won it last February. He claimed three more titles over the next two months, including his first major by three strokes over Rory McIlroy at The Masters. Scheffler then added four more Top-3 finishes and hauled in $14 million of prize money for the season.
- Post-WMPO Ranking: 9
- End-of-Year Ranking: 2
Rickie Fowler (2019)
The perennial fan favorite finally broke through at TPC Scottsdale (after two second-place finishes in 2010 and 2016) with a win in 2019, his fifth career PGA Tour title. But his fortunes have gone drier than Lake Powell ever since, with zero wins among eight Top 10 finishes.
- Post-WMPO Ranking: 8
- End-of-Year Ranking: 23
Gary Woodland (2018)
Woodland won the U.S. Open a year after his WMPO championship, but nothing since amid 14 Top 10 finishes. His memorable viral moment with Amy Bockerstette, an amateur golfer with Down syndrome, on the 16th hole during a 2019 WM Phoenix Open practice round, may be his lasting legacy in the desert.
- Post-WMPO Ranking: 26
- End-of-Year Ranking: 31
Hideki Matsuyama (2016 and 2017)
The Japan native liked winning in the desert so much, he did it again the following year, becoming just the sixth person in tournament history to card back-to-back titles. In the interim, he amassed six Top-10 finishes and $4.1 million in prize money. He’s won four times since, including the 2021 Masters.
- Post-WMPO Ranking: 12 (2016); 5 (2017)
- End-of-Year Ranking: 5 (2016); 5 (2017)
Kevin Stadler (2014)
The Scottsdale resident made the most of a short commute – he lived within walking distance of the TPC – while earning his first PGA Tour win in 2014. He followed his WMPO title two months later with a Top-10 finish at The Masters, but a wrist injury in 2015 derailed a promising career. He’s only made the cut six times in his last 50 PGA Tour appearances.
- Post-WMPO Ranking: 57
- End-of-Year Ranking: 70
