WM Phoenix Open Faces Familiar Daylight Challenge, Round 1 Suspended for Fourth Consecutive Year
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – For the fourth year in a row, dwindling daylight forced a suspension of the first round of the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on Thursday, February 5, 2026. Play was halted at 6:05 p.m. Mountain Time, leaving seven golfers to complete their opening rounds on Friday morning.
The PGA Tour announced that play will resume at 7:30 a.m. Local time on Friday. Of the 132-player field, 125 had finished their first rounds before darkness descended. Those still on the course when play was suspended included Christo Lamprecht, Neal Shipley, John Parry, all at 3-under through 16 holes, and Adrien Saddier, also at 3-under with two holes remaining. Li Haotong, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, and Jeffrey Kang were stranded at 1-under through 16.
Chris Gotterup currently leads the tournament at 8-under par, following a bogey-free round of 63 that included an eagle on the par-5 13th. Matt Fitzpatrick is two strokes behind at 6-under, having matched the back-nine record with a score of 29. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler struggled to a 2-over 73, his first over-par round since June 2025.
The recurring issue of darkness interrupting the first round has become a structural reality for the tournament. Early February’s limited daylight hours, combined with the large field size and the potential for frost delays, create a challenging logistical situation. Thursday’s final group teed off at 1:50 p.m. From the 10th tee.
Tournament officials are confident that the schedule will remain on track, with the second round set to begin at 7:20 a.m. MT. This will result in a brief overlap of rounds on the course as the remaining players complete their first rounds before starting their second. The 36-hole cut is still expected to proceed as planned on Friday evening.
The problem isn’t new. The 2024 edition of the tournament was also impacted by weather and darkness, stretching play into Monday. In 2025, frost delays and late finishes affected players like Wyndham Clark, who conceded three bogeys in his final five holes while playing in fading light. Similar delays plagued the 2023 tournament, with a nearly two-hour frost delay compounded by strong afternoon winds.
Five consecutive years of first-round suspensions suggest a fundamental conflict between the tournament’s calendar placement and the realities of Arizona’s winter daylight. The combination of limited sunlight, a large field, and the possibility of delays creates a situation where completing the first round in a single day is increasingly unlikely.
