February 4th – 7th, 2021

TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona

Par: 71 / Yardage: 7,261

Purse: $7.5 million with $1,350,000 to the winner

Defending Champion: Webb Simpson

Official Site: PGATour

It's certainly going to be different to the madness we are used to in Phoenix!  Crowds are to be limited to 5,000 per day but with a field of 132 the Phoenix Open is always one of the top weeks for the gamblers and online gamers and I'm certainly hoping for an upturn in fortune now that I have some formlines to work on.

TPC Scottsdale is desert golf at its toughest, precision pays around here, its never windy but abnormal weather and recent rains have certainly made rough areas more lush.  Greens of tifeagle bermuda always run about 12 on the stimp.

Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas top the betting both inside 8/1.  Rahm's in super form, probing for a win and without yet doing so in Phoenix he's never been outside the top-20 in five appearances.  

For me however the best Win Only bet might be Xander Schauffele at 10/1.  Granted he hasn't connected in three tries at Phoenix but they were all top-20's and he may just break through after a T5 at the Champions and T2 last week in The Farmers.

Defending Champion this week and cannot be left off your betslip. Ten appearances in Phoenix, 8 made cuts and five top-10's is a pretty decent haul but Simpson's consistency of late make him a lock. T4 last time out at the Sony, and rested compared to those coming from a battle at Torrey Pines. 

Also rested since Hawaii where he finished T7 is Daniel Berger.  Only ever wins from June 11-14th on Tour (3 times!)  but having not missed a cut since last season's Memorial Tournament a place punt seems logical. Three top-10's here since 2015 and his excellent iron game will give Berger plenty of chances this time around.

Think of a player that will make a crowd of pissed up bababoeey fans go mental and Bubba comes to mind.  Reduce that noise and can he still compete?  Of course he can. Never a winner in Phoenix but owns a pair T2's, a T3, a T4 and a T5 here. Missed the cut with a Friday 77 last week, so the bookies are giving us 45/1 in Phoenix.  I'll happily take it each way.

Does this guy ever take a week off??!! Only his third time playing the Phoenix Open and owns a T34, T7 formline here.  Has the fairways and greens game needed for TPC Scottsdale and I think after a recent T5 at the TOC and T12 at the American Express he's a dark horse this week.  

Bridged a nine year gap when winning the Zurich Classic alongside Jon Rahm in 2019 but Ryan Palmer has been knocking on the door recently.  Solo 4th at the TOC and looked very impressive in a T2 at Torrey Pines last week.  You have to go back to 2015 to find him contending in Phoenix (T2 then) but current form and precision driving in irons give the 44 year old an each way shot this week.

Missed the cut at The Farmers last week but at a two course event I wouldn't let that worry me.  Scored his first top-10 in eight appearances last year and can improve.  T7 at the Sony Open, Billy can contend here.

T12 at the Am Ex and T2 at The Farmers coming to Phoenix to make his debut.

Drove it 319 and 321 yards on average in his last two starts and earned a few quid in the process. T25 here last year.