Golf's biggest party has begun. The 2025 WM Phoenix Open, an annual event that is truly unlike any other on the PGA Tour, teed off on Thursday in Scottsdale, Arizona, in front of throngs of fans eager to party all weekend long.
Coming into this year's championship, all eyes were on World No.1 Scottie Scheffler as he returned to the WM Phoenix Open looking to add to his impressive resume at this event. A two-time winner of the Phoenix Open, Scheffler came into this year's tournament in pursuit of a third title which would see the two-time major winner join an elite list of players before him to have accomplished the rare feat. With others including Hideki Matsuyama, another two-time winner at TPC Scottsdale, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Wyndham Clark, and defending WM Phoenix Open champion Nick Taylor, also in attendance at this year's event, there was no shortage of intriguing storylines to follow.
While the aforementioned Clark got off to a blistering start to take command of an early lead and others including the World No.1 had a more challenging time out on the course early on in this year's tournament, there was still plenty to be decided in the coming days. Of course, the first step for any player looking to claim this year's title is to make the cut at the WM Phoenix Open, something which is no small feat at golf's biggest party.
How many players will make the cut at this year's event, though? Let's take a look at the cut rules for this year's championship, some of the historic cut lines at the WM Phoenix Open, and the latest cut line projections to see what this year's number might be and who could be in danger of packing their bags and heading home early.
How many players make the cut at the WM Phoenix Open?
For a third time this season, a PGA Tour event will have a traditional cut after 36 holes with the top 65 players and ties after two rounds at the 2025 WM Phoenix Open advancing to play the weekend. After a few events with 56-hole cuts, multiple courses, and no cut at all in recent weeks, the WM Phoenix Open follows in the footsteps of the Sony Open in Hawaii and the Farmers Insurance Open two weeks ago in implementing a more traditional cut line at a PGA Tour golf event. The 2025 edition of the People's Open welcomed 132 golfers to TPC Scottsdale, a number that will be significantly reduced following the completion of the second round of this year's championship.
What has the cut line previously been at the WM Phoenix Open?
The cut line at last year's WM Phoenix Open, won by Nick Taylor, was -2. Here is a look at the last five editions of the WM Phoenix Open and some of the historic cut lines in recent years.
Year of Tournament | Cut Line |
|---|---|
2024 WM Phoenix Open | -2 |
2023 WM Phoenix Open | E |
2022 WM Phoenix Open | -2 |
2021 WM Phoenix Open | -3 |
2020 WM Phoenix Open | -1 |
Looking back at the WM Phoenix Open cut line in recent years, it's clear that TPC Scottsdale has historically provided a real test for its fields with the cut line at the People's Open surpassing the -2 mark on just one occasion dating back to the 2020 WM Phoenix Open. It's interesting to note that the one time over the last five years that the cut line didn't break even par came back in 2023 when the WM Phoenix Open was one of several signature (previously designated) events on the PGA Tour schedule that year.
WM Phoenix Open cut line projection: What will the cut be in 2025?
With the majority of the first round at this year's WM Phoenix Open in the books, Data Golf is projecting a -1 cut line and giving it around a 40% chance of coming to fruition. The current projection falls in line with what we have seen at this event over the last five editions and if it were to end up the official number would match the 2020 WM Phoenix Open when Webb Simpson eventually went on to win at 17-under par after a playoff.
As things stand, the current projections give the cut line moving to -2 around a 32% probability while the number falling back to even par is much less likely with only about a 16% chance. Of course, if the number were to fall back to even par it would match the aforementioned cut line at the designated event WM Phoenix Open in 2023. The projected -1 cut line would give players including World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and Sungjae Im, amongst others, little room for error and would leave players including Hideki Matsuyama, Billy Horschel, and Matt Fitzpatrick with work left to do in order to make the cut at the 2025 WM Phoenix Open.