The middle stop on the West Coast swing heads to the Arizona desert this week for the biggest party on Tour. Competing alongside the Super Bowl and the Euro Tour’s Saudi International isn’t enough to detract from the enjoyment everyone gets from playing in and attending the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Always a popular stop on Tour, a strong field will again play in front of a raucous crowd at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course. Runner-up at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open, Jon Rahm opened as the betting favorite at online sportsbooks. He’s joined at the top of the odds board by defending champ Rickie Fowler, who looks to rebound after missing the cut at the FIO. Both players are featured in tournament matchups. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of matchup betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Waste Management Phoenix Open Matchup Odds at BookMaker.eu
J.B. Holmes -102 vs. Zach Johnson -128
Justin Thomas -130 vs. Webb Simpson +100
Adam Hadwin -120 vs. Bud Cauley -110
Viktor Hovland -146 vs. Jordan Spieth +116
Collin Morikawa -115 vs. Sungjae Im -115
Tom Hoge -102 vs. Andrew Putnam -128
Chez Reavie -135 vs. Kevin Na +105
Brandt Snedeker -129 vs. Scottie Scheffler -101
Corey Conners -130 vs. J.T. Poston +100
Branden Grace +102 vs. Ryan Palmer -132
Bryson DeChambeau -102 vs. Gary Woodland -128
Billy Horschel -130 vs. Keegan Bradley +100
Gary Woodland -155 vs. Matt Kuchar +124
Jon Rahm -177 vs. Justin Thomas +140
Hideki Matsuyama +100 vs. Xander Schauffele -130
Vaughn Taylor -142 vs. Brendan Steele +112
Ryan Moore -101 vs. Jason Kokrak -129
Cameron Smith -115 vs. Matthew Wolff -115
Bubba Watson +103 vs. Tony Finau -133
Byeong Hun An -138 vs. Brian Harman +108
Rickie Fowler -104 vs. Xander Schauffele -126
Bryson DeChambeau -136 vs. Matt Kuchar +106
Daniel Berger -110 vs. Russell Knox -120
Hideki Matsuyama -112 vs. Rickie Fowler -118
Jon Rahm -200 vs. Webb Simpson +158
Need to Know
Tournament host since 1987, the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale is one of the most popular stops on Tour. Outside of the stadium setting at No. 16, though, the layout is straightforward and bland. Stretched out to around 7,300 yards, the course plays to the heavy hitters and we should see plenty of drivers this week, allowing most to attack the greens with precision iron shots. Along with altitude in the desert we’ve seen some generous scoring in the past with winners typically in the 14- to 18-under range. Weather is always something to consider in the desert. Morning frost makes for a slower track for those starting early. The par-3 16th is the signature hole surrounded by stands and a boisterous gallery, and it can be intimidating to even the best golfers. I was 1-2 on matchup picks last week and I’ll try to get back in the red in Phoenix. Let’s take a look.
Waste Management Phoenix Open Matchup Picks
Gary Woodland -128 vs. Bryson DeChambeau
Torrey Pines bit a lot of notables last week, so I’m not overly concerned about Woodland missing the cut. I am bothered by DeChambeau’s play recently and that’s why the needle points to Woodland in this matchup. He was T7 or better in four starts prior to the FIO and his play in the desert can’t be overlooked. He won the title here two years ago and grabbed a T7 in his defense 12 months ago.
Hideki Matsuyama +100 vs. Xander Schauffele
The X-man hasn’t missed back-to-back cuts in nearly two years so there is reason to believe he’ll bounce back this week. However, Matsuyama has been an absolute terror on this layout with back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. Even when he didn’t win he’s been solid with a T4 and runner-up finish before finally claiming the prize. He withdrew from his title defense due to injury but returned last year to grab a share of 15th. He’s just too strong to pass over.
Jon Rahm -177 vs. Justin Thomas
I shied away from Rahm to win the individual title just because the odds were too short. There’s no denying he’s one of the top performers in the field, though. He didn’t get the desired results last week, coming up short at the FIO with a runner-up finish. That’s enough motivation for him to tear up the Stadium Course. He’s been good on the layout, too, going 4 for 4 with no worse than a T16 showing along with a 68.25 scoring average.
Branden Grace +102 vs. Ryan Palmer
Known more for his exploits on the Euro circuit, Grace is returning to a venue that treated him well in his initial visit last year. At 15-under Grace finished two swings back of Fowler for a runner-up result. It was his best showing on Tour since winning the RBC Heritage in 2016. He opened the year with a home win at the South African Open and was T17 two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi with his game in a good place.
Jordan Spieth +116 vs. Viktor Hovland
I know it’s a risky move but sometimes you just have to go with your gut. Spieth has fallen out of the top-50, but believe it or not last week’s showing was a step in the right direction. Torrey Pines swallowed a lot of good golfers and Spieth survived the cut on a layout that could’ve presented a lot of problems. For that reason alone he’s a more confident player heading to the desert and the stock course could play to his advantage. I’ll drop a few bucks on him with hopes that it does.
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