Tournament Chairman Jason Eisenberg announced today a distinguished group of former WM Phoenix Open champions have committed to compete in the 2026 WM Phoenix Open, scheduled for February 2–8 at TPC Scottsdale.
Two-time champion Hideki Matsuyama (World No. 15), 2024 champion Nick Taylor, 2020 champion Webb Simpson 2019 champion Rickie Fowler, and 2018 champion Gary Woodland headline the latest commitments.
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With these latest additions, the field for the 91st edition of “The People’s Open” now features seven former WM Phoenix Open champions, including previously announced World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and two-time WM Phoenix Open champion Brooks Koepka, all vying for another Waterford Crystal Thunderbird Trophy.
“We take great pride in the fact that champions want to come back and compete at the WM Phoenix Open,” Eisenberg said. “When past winners return to TPC Scottsdale, it reinforces the strength of this field and the standard of competition our fans expect. From the top of the world rankings to proven champions who know what it takes to win here, this group reflects the depth, history, and competitive excellence that define ‘The People’s Open.’”
Matsuyama continues to build one of the most accomplished careers in modern golf. Currently ranked 17th in the Official World Golf Ranking, he is a trailblazer for Japanese golf with 19 worldwide victories, including the 2021 Masters Tournament, where he became the first Japanese-born player to win a major championship. A two-time WM Phoenix Open champion (2016, 2017), Matsuyama is one of only eight players in tournament history to successfully defend a title at TPC Scottsdale. In 12 career starts at the event, he has recorded two wins, one runner-up finish, five Top-10s, and nine Top-25 finishes. He will seek a third WM Phoenix Open victory in 2026, which would place him among a select group of players to win the event three times.
Taylor, currently ranked 57th in the world, captured the 2024 WM Phoenix Open in dramatic fashion, defeating Charley Hoffman in a two-hole sudden-death playoff. A five-time PGA TOUR winner, the Canadian standout has authored several defining moments on TOUR, including his historic victory at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, becoming the first Canadian in nearly 70 years to win his nation’s open championship. Taylor will look to become just the 13th player in tournament history to claim multiple WM Phoenix Open titles.
Fowler remains one of golf’s most recognizable figures and a fan favorite at TPC Scottsdale. He earned his WM Phoenix Open victory in 2019 and returned to the winner’s circle in 2023 with a win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. In 17 career starts at the WM Phoenix Open, Fowler has posted one victory, two runner-up finishes, and seven top-25 results, ranking among the tournament’s all-time leaders in career earnings.
Woodland owns four PGA TOUR victories highlighted by his 2018 WM Phoenix Open win and his major championship triumph at the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He will make his 17th career appearance at TPC Scottsdale, where he has recorded three Top-10 finishes and seven Top-25s, ranking among the Top 20 players on the tournament’s career money list.
Simpson is a seven-time PGA TOUR winner and 2012 U.S. Open champion who claimed the WM Phoenix Open title in 2020. In nine career starts at TPC Scottsdale, he has posted four Top-10 finishes, including a runner-up result in 2017 that extended to a four-hole playoff.
The 2026 WM Phoenix Open returns to TPC Scottsdale February 2–8, bringing back “The People’s Open” for its 91st edition, making it one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR, Now recognized six times as the PGA TOUR’s Event of the Year, the WM Phoenix Open is celebrated as one of golf’s most iconic and fan-friendly events on the PGA TOUR. For more information visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.
The 2026 tournament marks the 17th year with WM – North America’s leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions – as proud title sponsor. During WM’s time as title sponsor, the tournament has contributed to setting a new standard for charitable giving and sustainability in sports, earning recognition as one of the largest certified zero-waste sporting events in the world for 13 consecutive years and raising millions of dollars for the Arizona community each year.
The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 280 “life” members who have helped the tournament eclipse $226 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932, with the 2025 WM Phoenix Open raising a single-tournament record $18.1 million for charity.
