Arguably the most popular event of the PGA Tour regular season, raucous scenes and wild drama are expected at TPC Scottsdale this week with the staging of the iconic Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Key Stats/Skill Set Required
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- GIR
- Ball Striking
- Proximity
- Birdie or Better
- Strokes Gained: Tee To Green
- Driving Distance
- Par 4 Scoring
Ball striking is absolutely key in the Waste Management Phoenix Open with TPC Scottsdale a second-shot course. An ability to go low is critical. Distance off the tee is far more important than accuracy.
Key Correlation Courses/Tournaments
- Bay Hill Club and Lodge
- Torrey Pines
- PGA West – Stadium Course
Hideki Matsuyama looks to be in for a big year. He already has a win on the board after claiming The Sentry. Shown flashes in three tournaments since but this looks a far better setup for him. He has won at Phoenix twice and has finished Top 22 at TPC Scottsdale in four of his last six. Ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and 15th in Strokes Ganed: Approach. His tournaments usually swing on his putting but his best putting comes on Bermuda greens, which he gets this week.
Former US Open winner Wyndham Clark is an insane price this week and is a must-bet. His form has generally been fine over the backend of last year and the start of this season. He has eight Top 17 finishes in his last 12 starts. He finished T-10 here two years back. Ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and 10th in Birdie or Better. The best guide for this tournament is the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Clark finished 2nd at Bay Hill last year.
Highly underrated player who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2023 and has built a nice record here. Played Phoenix twice and finished 23rd and 8th, a very nice return. Profiles beautifully ranking 6th in Proximity, 7th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and 10th in Strokes Gained: Approach. He is in good nick with three Top 10s in his last seven starts.
Ghim has been frustrating to punters as he continues to chase his maiden win. He has a ton of talent and was an elite collegiate/amateur player but while he has flashed brilliance on the PGA Tour, he has not been able to put it all together. He is worth a ticket this week though with a lovely profile. Ranks 4th in GIR, 4th in Proximity, 8th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 9th in Ball Striking and 12th in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green. Finished Top 14 at the 2024 Farmers and 2025 Amex.
The four-time PGA Tour winner has not won since 2021 with his comeback from an injury layoff taking plenty of time. He is playing some sound golf though with four Top 21 finishes in his last nine starts. Ranks 4th in Ball Striking and 12th in GIR. Finished 14th in The American Express this year, a strong guide. Four Top 11 finishes here across the last decade.
Quality English putter Harry Hall looks a nice bet to win the top Brit award this week. Only six lining up this week and suspect his short game and consistency will have him in the mix at a big price.
There is a strong field of South Koreans lining up this week but Si Woo Kim is definitely the value at around the $5 mark. Ranks Top 15 in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and Strokes Gained: Approach.