SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — TPC Scottsdale is one of Luke List’s favorite stops on the PGA Tour, even though he’s yet to finish above tied for 25th in seven career appearances at the course.
“Great to have the fans back, looks like we’ll have a great week of weather, one of my favorite tracks,” List said on Tuesday as fans peered beyond barriers at the golfers on the driving range preparing for the WM Phoenix Open.
“It’s in good shape, it sets up well. For me, if I can hit one of my drivers straight, I’ve got some advantages on some of the par 5s and some of the scoring clubs on the par 4s. For me in the past, the greens have been tough to read but I think the course sets up well if I can drive it straight that’ll be a huge advantage.”
In his 207th PGA Tour start, List won for the first time in dramatic fashion as he defeated Will Zalatoris on the first playoff hole in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. The 37-year-old, who polished off his stellar 6-under-par 66 nearly two hours before the last group finished, knocked his third shot on the par-5 18th on the South Course to less than a foot for a career-changing tap-in.
Zalatoris, tied for the lead entering the final round, had an 8-footer on the final hole in regulation to win but missed by a hair. His chance to extend the playoff from 13 feet was just left of the cup.
Tee times, TV info | PGA Tour Live streaming on ESPN+
The last two Tour stop winners are Tom Hoge at Pebble Beach last week, and the 37-year-old List. Both had gone more than 200 starts each without a win on Tour.
It’s that parity that speaks to the talent on the PGA Tour, List said.
“Everyone’s all in out here. Everybody believes they can win when they see guys that haven’t won before, and it gives guys like myself that hope that it’s still out there,” List said. “There’s no reason why the top guys can’t be challenged by some of the underdogs each week.”
List hopes the strides he’s made in putting will be a difference-maker for him on the course this week.
