As ever on Super Bowl weekend out in the United States, the PGA Tour heads to the loudest hole in golf for the showcase event that is the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, the latest event in the West Coast Swing.
Hideki Matsuyama goes in search of a third win in a row in this event which will be quite something in front of the huge crowds that the tournament attracts. With the names on show those crowds should be treated to some great golf.
Recent Winners
2017 – Hideki Matsuyama
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
The Course
Finally we are back to just the one course this week and a wonderful course it is too. TPC Scottsdale has been built up over the last few years and the finishing three holes here are great. In truth it is all about the 16th hole where massive crowds gather on what would be a simple par 3 but for the stadium like arena it is set in.
The course is a par 71 which plays to 7,266 yards at its longest. As with most Tom Weiskopf designs there is no one profile that fits this course. You have to do a bit of everything well. The fairways are harder to hit than previously but the greens slightly easier. They are undulating though so scrambling and good putting will be needed. It’s a good test.
The Field
Five of the best players in the world tee it up this week with Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Jon Rahm all in the field but they are not the only leading lights on show.
We have players like Daniel Berger, Marc Leishman and beaten play-off man from last year Webb Simpson pegging it up along with the man who so nearly won last week in Alex Noren. Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson should attract huge crowds around with them.
Market Leaders
It is Jordan Spieth who is a narrow 9/1 favourite to win the tournament this week. This is a rare event in that it is one which has so far eluded the superstar but that won’t remain the case forever. He just appears a little off his game right now though so in this field he might be a touch short.
Hideki Matsuyama and Jon Rahm are next in the betting at 10/1. Matsuyama goes in search of a three-peat but those things on the PGA Tour are as rare as rocking horse droppings and he is in nothing like the form he was when arriving 12 months ago. On the flip side Rahm is in fantastic form but he has played a lot of golf recently which might count against him.
Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas come next at 14/1 in the outright market. Fowler should have won this tournament two years ago and will be out for revenge on the field here and would look to have every chance. Thomas is still with his temporary caddy Bones and they didn’t perform all that well together when combining in the Sony Open. It is 33/1 bar those named.
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Main Bet
I’m playing this tournament slightly differently this week as the main five in the market have created some monster prices in the middle order so as such I’m just taking one from the top end of the betting.
That player is the runner up from last week in Alex Noren. The Swede is intending to play on both tours this year and the quicker he can get his card secured for next season the sooner he can focus on the bigger events in Europe when they arrive so this is a big week for the man who has been a winning machine in Europe recently. This course should suit Noren very well because he is excellent into the greens and a top notch scrambler. The atmosphere won’t faze him so at 40/1 I’ll take him to go one better than he did last year.
Outsiders
I will take three outsiders this week though with the first being another man who was involved in the play-off last week in Ryan Palmer. He has an excellent record on this track with a couple of runners up finishes and another top five to boot and we saw what we needed from him last week where he ranked second in the all-round ranking after being in the top 10 for that in the CareerBuilder the week before. His record here make him an automatic bet.
Austin Cook has been very proficient from tee to green in recent times and I sense he will go well here too. He hasn’t ranked outside the top 15 for driving accuracy in his last four events and that is a decent platform to build a score from. He is scrambling and putting well so when he needs to save par he can but having ranked second and third for greens hit in the RSM Classic and Tournament of Champions respectively there is little wrong with his iron play. He could be a sleeper in this field.
Chez Reavie ticks all the boxes statistically and while he might not have the best of records here he has put together a lot of consistent performances and I fancy we will get another from him this week. Reavie is a tee to green machine but his scrambling has been good in recent times too. If he can hit the right parts of these greens and get some putts to drop this might be the week he seriously threatens the win.
Tips
Back A.Noren to win Waste Management Phoenix Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Paddy Power (1/5 1-7)
Back him here:
Back R.Palmer to win Waste Management Phoenix Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with William Hill (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
Back A.Cook to win Waste Management Phoenix Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back him here:
PLACED – Back C.Reavie to win Waste Management Phoenix Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 101.00 with Boylesports (1/5 1-7)
Back him here:
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