SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — What did we just witness? Ryo Hisatsune just made an all-world birdie at the 2026 WM Phoenix Open to take the outright lead at TPC Scottsdale.
Already on a roll going birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie over Nos. 13, 14, 15 and 16, Hisatsune drove his tee shot on the drivable par-4 17th into the water left of the green. That seemed to bring his hot streak to a screeching halt. But they don’t call this four-hole closing stretch a rollercoaster for nothing.
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Hisatsune took his drop and then chipped in for birdie. You read that right. Check it out:
That birdie got him to 11 under and into the outright lead, overtaking fellow Japanese pro Hideki Matsuyama by shot. According to PGA Tour Radio, two Japanese players haven’t been first and second on the leaderboard after any round of a PGA Tour event since 1983.
Just as good as the shot in that video above was the big smile Hisatsune cracked after getting his ball out of the hole.
On 18, he pounded his drive 329 yards and then hit his second shot to 23 feet. One last birdie would have been a back-nine 29 and a two-shot lead, but he missed the birdie putt, officially cooling him off. Nonetheless, that closing par gave him an 8-under 63 and a one-shot lead as he walked off the course just after 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday.
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This article originally appeared on Golfweek: WM Phoenix Open 2026: Ryo Hisatsune makes water-ball birdie to take lead
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