What a week to be in the Phoenix area.
Not only is there a little thing called Super Bowl LVII kicking off Sunday evening just down the road in Glendale, Ariz., between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, there’s also one of the best events on the PGA Tour taking place in Scottsdale.
That’s right, the WM Phoenix Open tees off Thursday with a world-class field in front of a world-class crowd, which includes the “Loudest Hole in Golf” – the par-3 16th.
As one writer put it once: "A gaggle of rowdy, well-oiled fans will be out in full force at the 163-yard, par-3."
Yes, with a 20,000-seat grandstand surrounding the hole, this track is unlike any other. Last year, play had to be halted after Sam Ryder made a hole-in-one at No. 16 because fans were throwing beer bottles, cups and who-knows-what-else onto the course in celebration after witnessing the ace.
Last year’s WM Phoenix Open winner used the victory as a launching pad for his Player of the Year campaign. Scottie Scheffler earned the first victory of his career at the Stadium Course, going on to win four times in six starts, including the Masters in April at Augusta National.
This year’s field has eight of the world’s top-10 golfers in the mix, including No. 1 Rory McIlroy, who will be playing in his first PGA Tour start since winning the CJ Cup in October. McIlroy has played five times world-wide since then, winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the end of January.
The world’s second- and third-best golfers, Scheffler and Jon Rahm, respectively, will also tee it up this week in Scottsdale. Rahm has won four of his last six starts, including twice already on the PGA circuit.
Scheffler could be the first back-to-back winner since Hideki Matsuyama won consecutive titles in 2016 and 2017.
This will be the fourth time the final round of the WM Phoenix Open and the Super Bowl will both be played in the Phoenix area on the same day.
FrontPageBets takes a look at best bets to watch in this party of a golf tournament, which is one of the top must-see spectacles in all of sports.
Our pick to win last week at Pebble Beach, Viktor Hovland, finished just outside the top 10 with a T-13 finish at 10-under at the AT&T Pro-Am. Justin Rose won the weather-delayed event Monday, finishing at 18-under par, three shots ahead of Brendon Todd and Brandon Wu.
(All odds courtesy of DraftKings and are subject to change)
The favorite: Jon Rahm (+750)
Rahm is currently ranked first in the FedEx Cup standings, winning twice on Tour so far this year – the Sentry Tournament of Champions and The American Express in back-to-back weeks.
He is first on the PGA Tour in scoring average (68.9), greens in regulation (79%) and strokes gained off the tee (1.038).
This is a homecoming for Rahm as well, as he played his college golf at Arizona State.
Pick to win: Rory McIlroy (+850)
The No. 1 player in the world, according to the World Golf Rankings, will make his first PGA Tour start of the calendar year. This will be his second appearance at the WM Phoenix Open; McIlroy finished T-13 in his 2021 debut.
Last season, McIlroy finished in the top 10 in all four majors, including second at the Masters and third at the British Open at St. Andrews.
Top 5 pick: Cameron Young (+550)
Cameron Young is coming off a banner 2022 season, which included a runner-up finish at the British Open and a tie for third at the PGA Championship.
This season, Young has played in four PGA Tour events, finishing in the top 25 twice. He leads the Tour in driving distance with a 313.7-yard average off the tee.
Last year in Scottsdale, Young finished T-26 in his tournament debut.
Top 10 pick: Max Homa (+240)
Two weeks ago at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, Max Homa earned his sixth career PGA Tour win and the second of the season.
He’s currently second in the FedEx Cup standings and 12th in the World Golf Rankings.
Homa has made the cut all four times he’s played in the WM Phoenix Open, including two top-15 finishes. His best was T-6 in 2020.
Top-10 player odds to win at TPC Scottsdale
Jon Rahm +750
Rory McIlroy +850
Scottie Scheffler +1200
Xander Schauffele +1400
Tony Finau +1800
Collin Morikawa +1800
Patrick Cantlay 20-1
Max Homa 22-1
Justin Thomas 22-1
Cameron Young 25-1
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Mike Szvetitz is the General Manager and Content Director for FrontPageBets.com. Szvetitz is a 22-year veteran reporter and editor, including serving 17 years as a sports editor in Florida, Alabama and Virginia, covering everything from preps to pros. His "View From The Lazy Boy" column won multiple state and national awards. He can be reached at mszvetitz@timesdispatch.com.
