2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open Betting Prediction

2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open Betting Prediction

Written by on January 31, 2019

If you are a PGA fan, you know that the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open takes place on the same weekend as the Super Bowl each year. This is the only stop the Tour makes in Arizona — but it’s also one of the oldest tournaments the PGA has, as it started as the Arizona Open back in 1932. It takes place on TPC Scottsdale, as it has every year since 1987, and the packed stands around the green on the par-3 16th hole make that finish one of the rowdier locales in all of professional golf. Ten of the top 30 golfers in the world will be at this tournament, led in the rankings by Justin Thomas. The top favorite here is Jon Rahm, coming in with consecutive finishes in the top six — and who went to school at Arizona State, not far from the course. Take a look at our thoughts on your golf betting picks for the tournament.

2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open Betting Prediction

Hideki Matsuyama has five career victories on the PGA Tour, and two of them came right here, in 2016 and 2017. He showed up to try for a three-peat last year but had to withdraw after the first round thanks to a wrist injury. He tied for three a week ago at Torrey Pines, and with that value, his history makes him a solid pick. Tony Finau has gained more strokes over the last 50 rounds than any other golfer in this field. He ranks in the top 10 in strokes gained/tee to green, off the tee, approach and ball-striking. He ranks third in strokes gained on par 5 holds. He has missed three straight cuts here, but his game is perfect for this course, and his game has been solid for weeks now. Bubba Watson plays well on courses like this — he already has career victories on TPC River Highlands, Augusta and Riviera, and TPC Scottsdale is close enough for him to represent some value here. He has made the cut here in nine of the last ten years and has finished in the top five in three of his last seven starts here — including finishing as the runner-up twice. The odds value makes him a good pick. Justin Thomas has shown that he can hold a lead on Sunday and finish strong, a characteristic that will serve him well against such a strong field. Over the last 50 rounds, Thomas is tops in the field in strokes gained/approach, according to FantasyNation.com, and his short game allows him to escape mistakes and avoid bogeys. Rickie Fowler has three top-five finishes at this tournament in his career. He led after three rounds last year — and then coughed up that lead with a 73 on Sunday. I would imagine that he will be hungry for some redemption after that collapse. Jon Rahm has three consecutive top-10 finishes, and he also won the Hero World Challenge. Along with Justin Rose and Bryson DeChambeau, he is playing better golf than just about anyone else — which is why he’s the favorite. According to FantasyNational.com, he is second in strokes gained/off the tee over his last 50 rounds and ninth in total strokes gained — and he tied for fifth in his tournament while he was still playing for Arizona State. Tyrell Hatton is ranked 31st in the world but is priced at 66-1 for this tournament. It’s unlikely that he will win, but with that value, it’s hard to leave him off. Cameron Champ is another pick as a dark hose, listed at 50-1. As well as he can mash that driver, it’s hard not to throw down a small bet with that value. Keith Mitchell, at 125-1, is happy to be putting on Bermuda grass, and his driving could get him into contention here. Finally, Russell Henley, at 150-1, can score birdies in a hurry, and you need a low score to win here.