Waste Management Phoenix Open
Waste Management Phoenix Open
The PGA Tour leaves California this week and moves inland to Phoenix, Arizona, for the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Along with some quality golf, fans are hoping to see a little history made. Should Hideki Matsuyama, who is currently the No. 5 golfer in the world, win, he’ll become the first golfer to three-peat in seven years.
The task will not be easy, of course. Some of the best in the world will be playing as well, and more than happy to take the title from him. This bodes well for daily fantasy golf players. The better the selection of talent, the more likely you don’t choose wrong.
First— how about a little information about the course and weather?
The Phoenix Open is played at TPC (Tournament Players Club) Scottsdale located in the City of Scottsdale, specifically on the Stadium Course. It was designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, is 7,266 yards long, and a par 71.
The par-3 16th hole is the only fully enclosed hole on the PGA Tour.
The golfers couldn’t ask for better weather on the days of the tournament. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-60’s. Thursday and Saturday are projected to be partly cloudy, but Friday and Sunday should be clear skies.
Winds are going to be between 3-6 MPH and not a drop of rain is expected.
The Players
Cool, so it’s going to be a great day for the golfers and fans in attendance. But that doesn’t matter for your daily fantasy team! Who should you pick?
You can’t ignore Hideki Matsuyama. There is a reason why there has not been a three-peat in seven years. Winning on the PGA Tour is tough during any given week. Countless variables can affect a golfer’s game from one tournament to the next, but over a three-year period?
But that is also why it is such a celebrated event. It doesn’t happen often and not by just anyone—which is fine since Matsuyama happens to be ranked No. 5 in the world.
To be ranked that high he must have a pretty solid game. Combine that with the fact that he was one stroke off the lead in 2015, won it the next year, and improved his score by three strokes when he won it last year and – well, there is only one question left that needs to be asked.
How is he swinging the clubs now?
He tied for 12th at the Farmers Insurance Open (5-under) last week. Earlier this month, he tied for fourth at the Tournament of Champions (14-under). He’s swinging the clubs just fine and has a track record in Phoenix you can’t ignore (he’s never finished lower than fourth).
The following are some other players worth considering:
Patton Kizzire: The casual fan will not know who Kizzire is. But he is the current leader in the FedExCup standings. He’s won two of the last five tournaments he’s entered with the most recent being the Sony Open in Hawaii (17-under) a couple of weeks ago. However, he has only played in the Phoenix Open twice, so he will not be super-familiar with the course (3-under last year; 3-over the year before).
Jordan Spieth: The No. 3 golfer in the world has not been super busy of late playing in just two tournaments this season (three if you count the Hero World Challenge). But while he hasn’t played a ton, he has played well. He finished ninth at the Tournament of Champions (12-under) and tied for 18th at the Sony Open (11-under). He finished inside the top ten both times he’s played in the tournament (12-under last year; 11-under in 2015).
Webb Simpson: He lost the playoff to Matsuyama last year and had finished in the top 15 for the last six years. He knows the course and can play it well. He finished tied for fourth at the Sony Open earlier this month (15-under). But at the CareerBuilder Challenge, he finished tied for 36th (12-under).
Buyer Beware: It may be tempting to go with Phil Mickelson because he’ll be playing in the tournament for the 29th time. If being familiar with the course can be considered an advantage, he should have it. But he is not swinging the clubs well lately. He last played at the Farmers Insurance Open where he finished tied for 45th (even). The week before he missed the cut at the CareerBuilder Challenge.
START WINNING
YOUR DRAFTKINGS COMPETITIONS
NFL & PGA Lineup Buildeer.
ONE MEMBERSHIP.
Join today and receive instant access to handpicked fantasy players for all NFL & PGA DraftKings Linesups. Start outscoring your competition and learn the strategies to become a daily fantasy guru.
