Following Rory McIlroy’s victory at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, we’re right in another huge WM Phoenix Open event.
Known as the “Greater Grass Show”, the tournament is recognized as the most row on the PGA Tour calendar and attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators to what is also Super Bowl Weekend.
Last year, Nick Taylor defeated Charlie Hoffman in epic playoff when the Canadian bird three of the last four holes in regulation before Birdie was 18 and two times to win the fourth PGA Tour title.
In 2025, Taylor returned to defend while the likes of World No. 1 Scottie Shoti driver appeared while looking for the third WM Phoenix Open title for four years. The American made his first appearance in 2025 on Pebble Beach last week, securing the T9 final after hand surgery in late December.
Other big names include Justin Thomas, the leader of the FedEx Sepp Straka, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Hojgaard Twins and Max Homa, as well as several others.
As one of the most recognized tournaments of the year, three of the Golf Monthly Team have seen the field to bring you their bets for what should be a great week of action.
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After two Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach coastal courses, WM Phoenix Open is held at the TPC Scottsdale, located in the Sonoran Desert and surrounded by the stunning McDowell Mountain.
Found in the mid -1980s, the TPC Scottsdale has two courses – champions and stadium – the latter put WM Phoenix Open from 1987. Previously, the tournament was held at Phoenix Country Club and Arizona Country Club.
Measuring about 7,300 yards, the PAR 71 layout is known for the PAR 3 16th hole, which is known as “Coliseum”. By measuring only 160 yards, the hole provides an atmosphere of the stadium and will have about 20,000 lean fans a day around it during the tournament week.
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Together with the 16th, PAR 4 17th is one of the best risk and prize holes in the PGA Tour and often plays a huge role in the tournament’s decision. What’s more, this is the only par 4 that saw a hole in one in the history of PGA Tour when Andrew Maggie made Ace in 2001.
In terms of the hardest hole in the course, PAR 4 11th play over PAR last year and may be the most demanding triple, a shot in the TPC Scottsdale, with the water keeping the light up. Two of the four PAR 3 also played over-Par last year.
In the last decade, the winning result is around the middle to the end of teenagers, with one exception being Phil Mikelson in 2013, when he shot a joint record of the 28 floor tournament.
Finally, TPC Scottsdale seems to produce multiple winners. In the last decade, Brooks Cooleka won in 2015 and 2021, Hideki Matsuyama in 2016 and 2017, as well as Scheffler in 2022 and 2023.
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Year Player Result
2024
Nick Taylor
-21
2023
Scotty Sheffler
-19
2022
Scotty Sheffler
-16
2021
Brook Coole
-19
2020
Web Simpson
-17
2019
Ricky fowler
-17
2018
Gary Woodland
-18
2017
Hideki Matsuyama
-17
2016
Hideki Matsuyama
-14
2015
Brook Coole
-15
2014
Kevin Stadler
-16
2013
Phil Mikelson
-28
Outspoken winner Betmgm (Odds are correct during publication)
Scottie Scheffler (+275)
Justin Thomas (+1200)
Hideki Matsuyama (+1400)
Sam Burns (+2000)
Sungjae im (+2000)
Corey Conns (+3300)
Tom Kim (+3500)
Sepp Straka (+4000)
Sahit Teegala (+4500)
Byeong Hun An (+5000)
Matthew Fitzpatrick (+5500)
Billy Horchell (+5500)
Si Woo Kim (+5500)
Rasmus Hojgaard (+6000)
Kurt Kitayama (+6000)
Robert McIntyre (+6000)
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Favorite: Tom Kim (+3500)
Tom Kim will leave Pebble Beach after a poor driving of the final hole cost him a removal and released him from a potential T3 to T7. However, Kim is playing a very good golf right now, finishing 2 twice in his last six starts, as well as this disappointing T7 on Sunday.
He is currently on a 15-month-old win that is too long for a player in his caliber, so I expect him to be challenging again this week at the place where he was T17 last year.
Outsider: Jordan Spice (+6600)
Jordan Spate makes only his second start from the wrist operation last August, so I admit that it may be a little early in its recovery to support it. However, I believe that he can continue and fight as a perfectly appropriate Spieth is one of the best players in the world, and he enters this week from the back of four tournament rounds and a very promising five-Pod-Par 67 on Sunday.
The three -time main winner loves him in Phoenix, with the T6 here in each of his last two starts. It was also T4 in 2021, T9 in 2017 and T7 in 2015, so over the years it has played very well in TPC Scottsdale. I will admit that it will be a stretch to win the title this week, but I would not put anything around Jordan without injury.
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Favorite: Sungjae IM (+2000)
I would be honest that I was stuck between the choice of Sungjae IM and Hideki Matsuyama, but I chose IM, as I think it is a better value of +2000, with the South Korean star producing two top 4 in its last four starts.
Looking back to the tournament form, IM finished T6 in 2023. Although it finished T66 last year, I feel that his last results and the fact that he played well in Phoenix before, puts it in good condition on a golf course that is responsible his overall game.
Outsider: Jake Knap (+20000)
I admit that Knapp’s chances are big, but in the last few weeks he has begun to show signs of his old form, ending just beyond the top 30 of Farmers Insurance Open and AT&T Pebble Beach.
Last year, he finished the T28 at this event and followed him with a victory at Mexico Open, showing good shape around this time of year. Moreover, he lives in Scottsdale, and TPC Scottsdale is actually his home track, which is a positive sign for someone sitting at +20000.
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Favorite: Justin Thomas (+1100)
Scottie Scheffler is the favorite of bookmakers for this event and maybe rightly right. However, after occasionally he was a victim of a right pass and a lukewarm Putter in his first start back on Pebble Beach, I feel more confident in Justin Thomas to do it this week.
The graduate of the University of Alabama has two graduates of runners -up and one -third in his last four starts, with the central cause of his extreme form almost exclusively down to improving statistics. Add a superb record to the WM Phoenix Open, which includes seven consecutive top-20 endings, three of which were inside the top five and you will have to be quite confident in another good result of Thomas in 2025.
Outsider: Maverick Mcnealy (+6600)
Mcnealy is almost the definition of “Streaky” as all parts of his game rarely play a ball at the same time. However, when everything comes together, it is a real dark horse.
If he can return to the type of forming form with which he made his name and landed the first PGA Tour title late last year, the T6 result here in 2024 can be repeated this week.
USA (ET)
Thursday, February 6: 16.00 – 20.00 (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)Friday, February 7th: 16.00 – 20.00 (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)Saturday, February 8th: 13.00 – 6.30pm (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App/CBS)Sunday, February 9th: 13.00 – 6.30pm (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App/CBS)
Britain (GMT)
Thursday, February 6: 14.15 h – 12.00 (Sky Sports Golf)Friday, February 7th: 14.15 h – 12.00 (Sky Sports Golf)Saturday, February 8th: 18.00 – 23.30 (Sky Sports Golf)Sunday, February 9th: 18.00 – 23.00 (Sky Sports Golf)
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Result Player Event Price Gm
1
Tyrell Hatton
Hero Dubai Desert Classic
+900
Johnny Lehyfield
1
Lori canter
BAHRAIN Championship energies
+2200
Johnny Lehyfield/Matt Kradock
2
Justin Thomas
The American Express
+1200
Matt
2
Colin Morikava
Sentry
+1000
Barry Plummer
T3rd
Justin Rose
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
+15000
Matt
T4th
David Puig
BAHRAIN Championship energies
+1600
Elliot Heath
T6th
Tom McKibin
Hero Dubai Desert Classic
+9000
Elliot Heath
By james art 
