With a good portion of the country blanketed in snow and freezing temperatures, the Waste Management Phoenix Open might attract more fans than usual when the PGA Tour stops in the desert for this week’s event. Playing alongside the prestigious Saudi International on the Euro Tour, and over Super Bowl weekend, the tournament has a solid field of competitors. Once again Jon Rahm is the betting favorite, topping the odds board at BookMaker.eu for a third straight tournament at +605. Phil Mickelson returns after taking last week off and will attempt to become the first four-time winner of the Phoenix Open. Lefty makes his 30th start in this event and comes off at +2050. Matchup odds for the tournament contested at the TPC Scottsdale are listed below.
Golf Betting at BookMaker.eu
Waste Management Phoenix Open Matchup Odds at BookMaker.eu
J B Holmes -108 vs. Scott Piercy -122
Gary Woodland -118 vs. Tony Finau -112
Austin Cook +102 vs. Branden Grace -132
Rickie Fowler -225 vs. Phil Mickelson +170
Jason Kokrak -140 vs. Si Woo Kim +110
Kevin Tway -130 vs. Ryan Palmer +100
Andrew Putnam +137 vs. Emiliano Grillo -177
Rickie Fowler -170 vs. Webb Simpson +135
Zach Johnson -104 vs. Abraham Ancer -126
Keegan Bradley -148 vs. Luke List +118
Xander Schauffele +112 vs. Tony Finau -142
Talor Gooch -125 vs. Brendan Steele -105
Byeong Hun An -109 vs. Tyrrell Hatton -121
Webb Simpson -154 vs. Phil Mickelson +123
Matt Kuchar -153 vs. Cameron Smith +122
Adam Hadwin -103 vs. Billy Horschel -127
Cameron Champ -104 vs. Daniel Berger -126
Jon Rahm -170 vs. Justin Thomas +135
Jon Rahm -235 vs. Hideki Matsuyama +180
Martin Laird +103 vs. Lucas Glover -133
Bubba Watson +138 vs. Chez Reavie -174
Gary Woodland -147 vs. Xander Schauffele +117
Justin Thomas -155 vs. Hideki Matsuyama +124
Kyle Stanley -109 vs. Sungjae Im -121
Need to Know
TPC Scottsdale has hosted the event since 1987 and it is one of the most popular stops on the Tour. Outside of the stadium setting at No. 16, the layout is straightforward and mundane. 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. Those having the most success in that area typically inhabit the leaderboard. While the field is in the desert, weather could play a part in the outcome. Morning frost and dew make for a slower track for the early tee timers and a chance of rain is forecast for the weekend. The par-3 16th is the signature hole surrounded by stands and a raucous gallery, and it can be intimidating to even the best golfers.
Waste Management Phoenix Open Matchup Picks
Phil Mickelson +123 vs. Webb Simpson
Lefty knows this layout like the back of his hand and he’s enjoyed plenty of success in the desert. Not only that, Mickelson is a huge fan favorite and the former ASU player thrives off the crowds. And nobody knows what to expect and how to handle the 16th better than him. Phil knows his limitations, which is why he skipped the Farmers Insurance Open, and he should be ready to go after battling for the lead throughout the Desert Classic, only to fall by a stroke on the final day. He wasn’t affected by a long layoff and should be in better shape this week. Simpson isn’t playing poorly, but Lefty has the edge in course knowledge and success with three wins.
Hideki Matsuyama +124 vs. Justin Thomas
I’m going out on a limb and taking Matsuyama to upset Thomas in this matchup. It wouldn’t be that big of an upset considering the two are close on the odds board. But I like Matsuyama’s track record at TPC Scottsdale. Only Arnold Palmer had a better three-year stretch here than Matsuyama, winning three straight titles in the early 1960s. Matsuyama was a swing away from accomplishing the same feat finishing as runner-up in 2015 followed by a pair of victories. He missed a chance to three-peat due to injury last year, but he’s in good form following a T3 at Torrey Pines last week. Early round struggles have prevented J.T. from finishing better than he has this season and that will put him in hole he can’t get out of.
Cameron Champ -104 vs. Daniel Berger
The flavor of the month after a blistering start to his career, the hype has subsided for Champ. He gets a course this week that will allow his off-the-tee game to shine, and Champ has a good one. Silly mistakes proved costly for him last week and TPC Scottsdale is much more forgiving than Torrey Pines. And you can expect the youngster to embrace the crowd when he walks up to the 16th tee box. This is a good layout for Champ to bounce back and his continued strong iron play will complement his drives well on the forgiving layout.
Golf Betting Odds
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