Waste Management Phoenix Open: Expert Picks

Tournament Information

Waste Management Phoenix Open
Date: February 4th – 7th
Course: TPC Scottsdale
Purse: $7.3MM ($1.3MM to winner)
2020 Winner: Webb Simpson (-17)

Course

TPC Scottsdale — Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish built this course in 1987. It is one of the most heavily attended tournaments of the year with over 20,000 capacity. The 72 par course has 72 bunkers, some are a little deep across vast desert terrain amidst the holes. It has a course rating of 74.7 and a slope rating of 142. Hole 16 has a coliseum affect as the stands surround the shot onto the green, it’s a raucous atmosphere, one only mirrored by the Ryder Cup.

Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

My Starting 4

Matt Kuchar (second selection this year) — Kuchar has finished in the top 20 each of the last four years at TPC Scottsdale. He missed the cut at the Sony Open but won the QBE Shootout prior to that. He is the most accurate driver on tour right now.

Byeong-Hun An (first selection this year) — A top 25 finisher here each of the last four years, Byeong-Hun is 26th on the tour in strokes gained tee to green and he finished 8th at the American Express Open two weeks ago.

Xander Schauffele (third selection this year) — Schauffele has landed inside the top 20 the last three years at the Waste Management Open. He’s sixth in FedEx Ranking and OWGR, and second on the tour in total strokes gained.

Rickie Fowler (third selection this year) — Last year was the first year Fowler didn’t finish in the top 12 here since 2015. He’s made the cut in six of the eight tournaments he played in this year. He’s 14th in total strokes gained driven largely by his approaches to the green where he’s 14th in strokes gained.

My Bench 2

Daniel Berger (first selection this year) — Berger finished among the top 12 three of the last four years here. He’s made every cut this season and finished in the top 10 the last three tournaments. His putting has been excellent (25th in strokes gained).

Martin Laird (first selection this year) — From 2017-2019, Laird finished among the top 30 here. He’s currently 20th in FedEx Ranking, 9th in Driving Accuracy and 8th in Greens in Regulation.

Fun Fact: Since 1973, the Phoenix Open has been played the same weekend as the Super Bowl

2020-2021 Stats (1^st percent would be the top golfer picked every week)
Starting 4: avg finish 36^th (29^th percent)
Bench 2: avg finish 48^th (40^th percent)