As one group cleared the green, the next walked through the stadium tunnel, this one a little different than the others.

Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth took to the tee box, two fan-favorites who have etched their names in golf history with multiple major championships.

The third player of this prestigious group, however, ended up not only sending the fans on No. 16 into a frenzy, but also with a massive lead over the two golf legends.

Chris Gotterup sank a seven-footer for birdie on the infamous hole of the WM Phoenix Open, setting himself up for a career day in which he finished with an eight-under-par 63 and a two-stroke lead on the field. Despite playing with such a star-studded group, Gotterup kept his head in the game when it mattered most.

“The thing about the tour is it never stops,” Gotterup said, “someone is going to be coming.”

The 26-year-old made headlines to start the PGA season, as he took home the trophy at the Sony Open and delivered a top 20 at the Farmers Insurance Open last weekend.

Gotterup was consistent in every aspect of the game, but found his scoring stroke on par 5’s, as he was a combined four-under-par, including an eagle, on the course’s three longest holes.

“You have to hit good drives on these par 5’s to have irons in,” Gotterup said, “when it gets a little firm, you just gotta be in the right spot on this course.”

His driver was just about automatic, and finding the center of the fairway was pivotal in giving himself good looks at the green. 

While Gotterup ended up being the story of the day, the morning had a different tune.

Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick brought the fire to the desert, as he tied the back-nine record with a seven-under-par 29.

Fitzpatrick, like Gotterup, also birdied the 16th, proving the nerves of steel that come with leading a tournament of this magnitude.

The two were neck-and-neck for the majority of the back nine, but back-to-back bogeys for Fitzpatrick to end his day left him at six-under-par, surrendering a two-stroke lead to Gotterup.

“If it’s not bogey bogey and you finish six under,” Fitzpatrick said, “you come off feeling like the greatest player in the world.”

While not the greatest by any means, shooting a 65 does wonders for the confidence of someone who has struggled to find consistency in recent PGA seasons. 

Two longshots at the top of the headlines is noteworthy, but not out of the question given the unpredictability of desert golf.

What shocked the crowd most, however, was not the names at the top of the leaderboard, but who was missing.

Scheffler, the number one-ranked golfer in the world and winner of four of his last seven PGA starts, had an uncharacteristically sloppy day.

The 20-time PGA winner had six bogeys or worse, including a double bogey on No. 2 that had fans wondering whether scoreboards were glitching, or maybe it was a sign that Scheffler, greatness in all, was actually “one of them.”

Struggles plagued just about every aspect of Scheffler’s game, but par 4’s attributed to all of his bogeys, as struggles off the tee proved to be too big a divot to overcome. 

Players and fans alike expected Scheffler to come out of his rut, but a finish at two-over-par is a cause for concern, as he will need a round in the mid-60’s on Friday to even see the weekend.

If the four-time major champion is unable to make the cut, it would be his first time not playing the weekend in a PGA event since 2022. 

The chaos that is the Thursday leaderboard in Scottsdale perfectly encapsulates the nature of the tournament; an unpredictable party that could turn on its head at any moment.

Groups will be the same on Friday, as players prepare to try and survive the circus for just a few more days.

“Realistically, there are probably two or three holes you get a bit of abuse on,” Fitzpatrick said. “But it’s all good fun, I love this week.”