– Last Updated on November 20, 2022 10:10 pm
2017 PGA Waste Management Phoenix Open Preview and Picks
Ready to bet this weeks on the 2017 PGA Waste Management Phoenix Open Odds? One of the most crowd-pleasing events on the PGA TOUR comes our way this weekend when the 2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open will be contested at the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale.
2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open
When: February 2-5, 2017
Where: TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona
Format: 72 holes – Stroke Play
Purse: 6,700,000
Defending Champion: Hideki Matsuyama
TV Coverage: Golf Channel, CBS
Updated Sportsbook Bonuses For Today
2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open Favorites:
It is a par 71 of 7266 yards with three par 5’s and only four par 3’s set in the desert. Nothing about this track is particularly tough – fairways are wide and greens are flat and relatively easy to hit.
An abundance of bunkers and mounds will make things interesting however.
So who should we keep an extra eye on during “the Greenest Show on Earth”? Let’s take a look.
Jordan Spieth +700
Of the top tier of golfers on TOUR Spieth is the guy that enters this week in the best form – T3 at the SBS Tournament of Champions, solo third at the Sony and T6 at the Hero World Challenge – this after a win in Australia in November.
Somehow it has been his putter that has struggled early on – something that WON’T continue. He finished T7 in his only appearance here in 2015 and is a good bet to improve on that this week.
Justin Thomas +900
Returns to action after a rare Hawaii-double – he has now won two of his last three events played! He leads the TOUR in strokes gained: tee-to-green and sits inside the top 10 in the other two strokes gained categories – on fire so far this year.
He missed the cut in this event last year and was T17 in 2015 but current form almost assures a better week for Thomas. I love his game for sure but not sure about the track history and the price this week.
Hideki Matsuyama +1100
The defending Champion seems to be built for this track – he has gone T4-T2 and that win in three starts in this event – incredible! Hideki was virtually untouchable at the end of last year – four wins and two seconds in six worldwide starts – hardly believable.
He has fallen off a tad lately however – last time out was a T27 at the Sony. But there is no player in the field that has enjoyed as much recent success on this track and there is no other that can boast such sensational current form.
Hideki will be heard from this week for sure!
2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open Contenders:
Jon Rahm +2500
Rahm broke through with an impressive win last week at the Farmers Insurance Open – his first top 10 this year but third top 15 finish.
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He was T5 as an amateur in this event in 2015 and now has the experience and the taste of winning to go along with his immense talent. Could a Matsuyama-type run be in him? It’s certainly possible.
Phil Mickelson +2500
Healthy again, Phil looks ready to terrorize on a track he’s won three times including 2013 and has 10 career top 10 finishes. He shares the course record here (60) and tournament record (-28) and was T11 last year.
He has gone T21 and T14 in two tournaments since offseason sports-hernia surgeries – good enough for me to mention as one of my favorites this week.
Ryan Moore +2800
Has finished inside the top 20 the last four years at this event including a solo fourth in 2013 and a T6 in 2014 – track history is definitely on his side.
Moore’s current form is nothing to sneeze at either – he has been inside the top 25 in his last five starts overall including a T3 at the SBS Tournament of Champions – five top 10s, including a win, in last 10 TOUR starts! Moore loves this tournament and should do well again this week.
Russell Knox +4000
Knox is due for a breakthrough – he hasn’t been worse than T23 in his last nine starts overall including three top 10s.
He finishes T15 in his only start here in 2015 but has the overall game to make things interesting this week.
Tony Finau +4000
Finau has been on my radar for a few weeks now – his T4 last week at Torrey Pines after shooting two rounds in the 60s is proof that he is ready for prime time. If he didn’t falter on Sunday we may be talking about him as the Champ there.
He now has three top 20s this year and has been one of the better players on TOUR tee-to-green. His only appearance here resulted in a T22 something he should be able to better this week!
2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open Sleepers (+5000 or higher):
Keegan Bradley +5000
I’m loving the price for Bradley here – he has three top 10s already this season including a T4 last week at Torrey Pines.
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He has finished inside the top 25 four of the five times he’s teed it up here and off a good week in California should be in the hunt here.
Pat Perez +5000
Has quietly been very good early in the season – a T4 at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open was his third top five finish in his last four starts, including a win at the OHL Classic in Mayakoba.
Although he has yet to record a top 10 in this event in 16 tries (four top 30s however in his last six), his current stats suggest he could be a factor again this week.
2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open Picks:
The pick this week is a familiar one if you follow my column. Hideki Matsuyama at +1100 gets the nod. Not only is he the defending champion here but he has been inside the top four in the last three editions of this tournament.
It was tough to pick against his nemesis Justin Thomas but I have faith that Hideki will exorcise that demon this week.
My sleeper is Keegan Bradley at +5000. He looks like the old Keegan and has a pretty good track history here. Expect him to ham it up this week and keep his name on the radar.
Golf handicapper DAVE B weighs in each week with his top selections. Including top picks and sleepers!
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