The PGA Tour is back at the ‘loudest hole in golf’ this week as 132 of the leading players on the Tour head to Phoenix in Arizona for the Waste Management Phoenix Open, always a popular spot on the West Coast Swing.
The 16th hole is famed for its stadium set up and crowd noise and men are either made or melted on this famous par 3. Players either thrive in the atmosphere or go flat and it always adds something extra to the tournament.
Recent Winners
2016 – Hideki Matsuyama
2015 – Brooks Koepka
2014 – Kevin Stadler
2013 – Phil Mickelson
2012 – Kyle Stanley
2011 – Mark Wilson
2010 – Hunter Mahan
2009 – Kenny Perry
2008 – J.B. Holmes
2007 – Aaron Baddeley
The Course
TPC Scottsdale remains the tournament host this week. All eyes will be on the 16th hole but there are plenty of others that can catch a golfer out if he isn’t careful. The course underwent some moderations a couple of years ago to make it a slightly stiffer test.
It is still a par 71 and measures 7,266 yards so it is of modest length in today’s world. I believe the course is a tee to green course. You need to be good with the long game to get around here. The greens are big so while hitting them isn’t necessarily a problem they need to be hit in the right area but that hasn’t proven too easy since the refurb.
The Field
The defending champion Hideki Matsuyama is back for another crack at the title this week and he is joined by some big names. Last week’s winner Jon Rahm also tees it up while the form horse Justin Thomas is also here. Phil Mickelson arrives looking for a fourth Phoenix title.
Ryan Moore, Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler are all members on the winning Ryder Cup side who are teeing it up this week while Bubba Watson is always a popular attendee to this event. Jordan Spieth adds more world class talent to proceedings.
Market Leaders
It is the world class talent of Jordan Spieth that heads the betting at 9/1. That shows us both how competitive the field is and also how he isn’t quite at the top of his game as if he was anywhere near that then he would be half those odds. He is fairly easy to pass over at that price.
Hideki Matsuyama has an incredible record here topped off by that win last year. He begins the tournament as an 10/1 poke and given the form he has been in over the last three months I’m sure that will be popular with a lot of people. He couldn’t quite keep that form going last week.
Justin Thomas is another in amazing form. He did the Hawaii double to kick off 2017 and is 14/1 to win this tournament which on the face of it is a cracking price but you would think his form will tail off at some point and any value in him has probably disappeared overall.
Jon Rahm was tied for fifth on his debut in this tournament in 2015 and he couldn’t be any more confident arriving here after his first win on the PGA Tour at Torrey Pines last week. There would have been an emotional high involved there though and I’m never one to ride those the following week. It is 28/1 bar that quartet.
Main Bets
I’m going with a couple of main bets in this tournament. Ryan Moore is a man who tends to enjoy it around here and that isn’t a surprise with greens in regulation a huge statistic. He is pretty monotonous from tee to green and this course sets up nicely for him with its firmness and things.
Moore has four successive top 20 finishes here and in total he has four top 10s in 11 outings. He began 2017 with a solid effort in Hawaii and all of that equates to me expecting a good week from the Ryder Cupper.
I took Brendan Steele to win a couple of weeks ago when the West Coast Swing opened at the CareerBuilder and he landed a place for me and I’m not deserting him here. He has three top six finishes on this track and arrives here in excellent form and with the confidence of that win earlier in the season. He is hitting the ball really well from tee to green and I’m expecting a big run from a man with such a good record here.
Outsiders
I’m going to chance my arm with three outsiders too. Patrick Rodgers impressed me last week. His talents have always been well known and his profile should fit this course like a glove. He is long and straight off the tee and finds a lot of greens so if he can putt like he did last week he should follow up a big week with another here.
Kevin Chappell leads the tour in strokes gained from tee to green this season and that ability from distance should count for something this week. He has a hit and miss record around here but he is an infinitely better player now than say two years ago and I fancy he might put in a really big show especially if his putter lights up early on. This guy will win a PGA Tour event soon and I’ll take the chance it is this week.
Finally the final round of Ryo Ishikawa at the Farmers caught my eye on Sunday and he has got good previous form here which is perfect. I would imagine the Japanese player will take plenty of motivation and inspiration from the form and achievements of his compatriot Hideki Matsuyama and with him being another one who strikes the ball so well from tee to green and arriving here off the back of an excellent round on a tough Torrey Pines track I’ll pay to see how well he goes.
Tips
Back R.Moore to win Waste Management Phoenix Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 29.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back him here:
Back B.Steele to win Waste Management Phoenix Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with Paddy Power (1/5 1-7)
Back P.Rodgers to win Waste Management Phoenix Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Paddy Power (1/5 1-7)
Back K.Chappell to win Waste Management Phoenix Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 101.00 with Paddy Power (1/5 1-7)
Back them here:
Back R.Ishikawa to win Waste Management Phoenix Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 251.00 with Boylesports (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
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