Best Bets at the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Only 5,000 fans will be in attendance each day at this year’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. That will lead to a relatively muted tournament, far from what we have seen in recent years from the event with the wildest fans on the PGA Tour. Golfers typically have to brave more than the course when they are at this tournament, but they won’t have a hard time tuning out the noise at this year’s event.

Event Details

Event: Waste Management Phoenix Open

Category: PGA Tour

Date: February 4-7, 2021

Location: TPC Scottsdale – Stadium Course, Scottsdale, Arizona

Past Winners

2020: Webb Simpson -17

2019: Rickie Fowler -17

2018: Gary Woodland -18

2017: Hideki Matsuyama -17

2016: Hideki Matsuyama -14

This year’s field isn’t fully loaded as some of the most prominent names on the PGA Tour are still in the Middle East to cash in on those nice appearance fees. Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Tony Finau, Patrick Reed and more will be in the Saudi International this weekend instead of the Arizona desert.

Four of the last five Waste Management Opens have been decided by a playoff. Webb Simpson beat Tony Finau last year, and Gary Woodland beat Chez Reavie in 2018. Hideki Matsuyama needed extra holes to beat Simpson and Rickie Fowler for his consecutive wins here. Fowler was the only golfer in that stretch to win in 72 holes, beating Branden Grace by two strokes for his first title.

Three-time champion Phil Mickelson will be in Saudi Arabia instead of Scottsdale this week, and he is the most recent golfer to post the course record 256.

The Course

It will be interesting to see whether anyone plays this course differently without the fans in attendance. The Waste Management Phoenix Open is typically the most attended event on the PGA Tour. Limiting the patrons to a fraction of the usual amount will create a surreal feel as this was one of the last tournaments to be held with the usual rules during the 2020 season.

The most notable hole on this course is the par-three 16^th hole. It is fully surrounded by grandstands, creating a rowdy atmosphere where patrons typically egg each other on and cheer or boo the golfers depending on whether they hit the green. This is one of the shortest holes on the PGA Tour too at just 162 yards.

This is a par-71 course on the PGA Tour. There are only three holes longer than 490 yards, so big hitters will see their power somewhat mitigated.

Value Play to Win the Tournament: Hideki Matsuyama +2200

For the first time ever, I’m backing the same golfer in consecutive weeks. Matsuyama didn’t have his best performance at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open. His only good round came on Friday, and he shot 74, 74, and 73 on the other three days. This has been a great venue for Matsuyama though. He finished 15^th and 16^th here the past two years, and he finished fourth place in 2014 and runner-up in 2015 before his back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.

Top 5 Prop: Scottie Scheffler +900

It hasn’t been a good last couple weeks for the 2020 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. Scottie Scheffler missed the cut at The American Express and Farmers Insurance Open, halting a streak where he had finished T20 in three of four previous events. Scheffler failed to make it to the weekend here last year, but this could be the site of his breakthrough as he is used to playing in the southwest climate.

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