The Waste Management Phoenix Open is a law unto itself on the PGA Tour. The tournament is always played at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. The event attracts huge crowds to the desert location, especially at the weekend when spectators tend to enjoy plenty of liquid refreshment. In 2016, over 200,000 golf fans turned at Scottsdale on Saturday and the record for the week is over 600,000.
Beyond the final four holes, it could be described as an ordinary track. It is 7,261 yards and has a par of 71. The average winning score over the last six years is 17 under and there have been four playoffs since 2016. After analyzing the recent winners we have identified the following key skills as a reference for our Waste Management Phoenix Open picks.
Green s in Regulation (GIR)
Driving distance
Birdie conversion
2022 Waste Management Phoenix Open Picks
Outright Winner
Justin Thomas (+1200)
The nature of the fans and how they enjoy the occasion has led the event to be called The People’s Open. No hole illustrates the point than the par 3 16th. The route from tee to green is surrounded by a huge crowd and possibly it is the most viewed in hole in world golf. The cheers as a player tees off get louder and more raucous as the day progresses so a cool temperament is key.
Thomas has an outstanding record on TPC courses. They clearly suit his game because hitting the greens in the correct number of shots is important for potential contenders. Our outright winner pick has won just one major championship and 14 PGA events in total. Thomas is due to win again and has the personality to deal with the enthusiastic masses, especially on the closing stretch.
Best Value Top 10 Pick
Hideki Matsuyama (+1600)
If its horses for courses you like, then you must consider Matsuyama as the best value for a top 10 finish. The only player from Japan to win a men’s major championship won the Phoenix Open in 2016 and 2017 with scores of 14 and 17 under. The US Masters winner last year is a brilliant ball-striker who has good figures for greens in regulation. Any Augusta winner must putt well so we anticipate that Matsuyama will be near the top of the leaderboard at the close of play.
Potential Sleeper Pick
Matt Kuchar (+9000)
Kuchar plays most of his golf with a smile on his face. He certainly won’t be adversely affected by the galleries because he seems to take things on the golf course in his stride. He has a solid all-around game with no major weaknesses. Granted he’s not one of the big hitters but his GIR percentages keep him towards the upper echelons of the standings. So, Kuchar is fancied to get in the mix in an event he enjoys competing.
For the full list of odds for the outright winner of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, you should visit: https://nj.pointsbet.com/sports/golf
