The Waste Management Phoenix Open draws one of the biggest crowds on the PGA Tour each season and, with many of the golf fans drinking alcohol, they’re renowned for creating a gladiator-like arena. Good shots are cheered loudly, and bad shots are booed even louder, no matter if those that hit them are one of the best players in the world or a recent addition to the PGA Tour.
TPC Scottsdale has been the host course for the Phoenix Open since 1987, and the par 71 layout measures around 7,250 yards. Wide fairways and fast greens are the norm, whilst water features on three holes. The course is also set high above sea level, so the players will have to alter their yardage books this week as the ball usually flies a little bit further than normal.
The course has been used as a host venue for the event for over 30 years, but it could be best to concentrate on the last four-year’s worth of form, as this comes after the latest changes were made to course.
It’s no surprise to see John Rahm as the market leader this week as his run of current form of 4/1/8/6/5 stands up to the closest scrutiny in this week’s line-up. His tournament form isn’t bad either, as he finished fifth here on debut in 2016 and followed that by finishing sixteenth and eleventh in the last two years. There’s no doubt he comes into the tournament in even better form this year and he must surely go close, though single-figure prices mean he’s no value.
Justin Thomas is the highest-ranked player in the world at number four and he wasn’t in bad form when last seen three weeks ago. He should also have the perfect game for this venue but, as he’s not finished any better than seventeenth in four visits so far, it’s hard to make a strong case for backing him.
That makes Hideki Matsuyama the first player I want on side this week, as the world-class Japanese player looked somewhere near his best when finishing third last week at Torrey Pines and his course form is impeccable. Prior to that, he was fourth on debut in 2014, and bettered that after the 2015 changes by going 2/1/1. Hopefully, last week’s performance wasn’t a flash in the pan and, if he’s in the same form this week, he’ll surely go close to registering a third win in the event.
Matt Kuchar is the only other player I’m backing this week. More renowned for being a consistent sort who makes plenty of money by regularly finishing in the top-10, his confidence has never been higher after winning two of his last four tournaments. He’s also finished ninth and fifth in the last two renewals of this tournament and I expect the crowd to be shouting “Kuch” plenty of times this week.