(Photo credit: Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The drive for an exceptional 2026 season is off to a rousing start for Scottie Scheffler, who began his year with a championship at the American Express a week ago Sunday in La Quinta, Calif.

That title was the 20th of Scheffler's career, which earned him lifetime status on the PGA Tour. Nonetheless, the 29-year-old is wasting no time chasing No. 21 as the Phoenix Open tees off Thursday.

The Scottsdale, Ariz. event is famous for its crowd involvement, and Scheffler welcomes the big stage.

'I've always enjoyed playing this type of test,' he said. 'I think this golf course plays really well when it comes tournament time. It plays firm and fast and you got to hit a lot of different shots and you got to be very precise with your ball, but then there is also a big crowd that comes with it as well.

'I think it's always a lot of fun to play in front of a group this size. It can be a bit hectic out there sometimes, but it really is a lot of fun.'

Scheffler is certainly familiar with the setup as a two-time winner at this event (2022, 2023), though he'll also be hoping to improve on last year's respectable showing, a 9-under performance that left him in a tie for 25th.

The first of his Phoenix championships was the first of his PGA career.

'Yeah, it doesn't feel all that long ago, but at the same time, it feels like quite a bit of time has passed since then,' Scheffler acknowledged. 'Yeah, lots of good memories. It's nice to come back to this tournament. This tournament is a lot of fun for me to play in and it's fun to be able to play in front of this crowd.'

His competition will naturally be a bigger concern than the crowd or his history on the course, and Brooks Koepka is once again a part of that field, continuing his return from LIV Golf.

Scheffler expressed appreciation for having Koepka and Patrick Reed back on the Tour.

'Having those guys competing out here is great for the Tour, great for the fans, and great for our sponsors,' Scheffler said. 'I think the last few years -- there has just been a lot of the noise, and so I think getting those guys back is another step towards us just being able to play golf again. That's what I'm looking forward to the most.'

Part of embracing the challenge of winning another championship, Scheffler explained, is leaning into the razor-thin margin between delight and disaster on the finishing holes.

A course like TPC Scottsdale demands excellence late and, for Scheffler, that's all part of the fun.

'You have to play well at the end. I think this golf course is one of those -- one of the best ones we see all year in terms of an exciting finish,' Scheffler said. 'There is opportunity, but also a lot of danger. You look at even the second shot on 15. If you hit a really good shot there, you can get a really good look for eagle, but if you hit a poor shot you're going to be in the water staring bogey in the face.

'So there is a lot of variety, and I think it's a fantastic finish that provides a great amount of opportunity -- but also can be pretty severe penalties as well.'

--Field Level Media