"Previewing the 2025 WM Phoenix Open: Top Picks, Predictions & Betting Tips"
The most prominent event on the PGA Tour is undoubtedly held at TPC Scottsdale, and the WM Phoenix Open, also known as "The People's Open," will commence on Thursday with a field that includes World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Our golf analysts have previewed the tournament and shared their top prop picks and best bets for the week.
WM PHOENIX OPEN
WM Phoenix Open, Scottsdale, Ariz., Feb. 6-9
Course: TPC Scottsdale (Par 71, 7,261 Yards)
Purse: $9.2M (Winner: $1.656M)
Defending Champion: Nick Taylor
FedEx Cup leader: Sepp Straka
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 4-8 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS); Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 9:15 a.m.-8 p.m. ET; Saturday: 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Sunday: 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @WMPhoenixOpen
PROP PICKS
--Hideki Matsuyama to Defeat Justin Thomas (-110 at DraftKings): Although Matsuyama's performance has declined since winning The Sentry, he has a strong track record at TPC Scottsdale with two previous wins. In contrast, Thomas has yet to win in 10 attempts at this course. While he has four consecutive top-10 finishes at this event, Matsuyama has a longer history of success, including a T2 in 2015 and a T4 in the previous year.
--Sepp Straka to Finish in the Top 20 (+175 at BetRivers): Straka held the 54-hole lead at Pebble Beach before ultimately finishing T7. He also won The American Express and placed T30 at the Sony Open, indicating that he is playing exceptional golf at the start of 2025.
--Hole-In-One During Tournament (Yes -115 at DraftKings): While the famous 16th hole receives a lot of attention, there have only been 11 hole-in-ones in 38 years, with the most recent one being made by Carlos Ortiz in 2022. Therefore, we believe there is a higher likelihood of a hole-in-one occurring on one of the four par-3s on the course, even though the payout is not as enticing as the +250 odds for an ace on the 16th hole specifically.
2025 Prop Pick Record: 4-6-1
BEST BETS
--Scottie Scheffler (+275 at DraftKings) won the event in 2022 and 2023 and has finished in the top 10 in his last four appearances at TPC Scottsdale. Despite being the heavy pre-tournament favorite, Scheffler has received the most bets and backing from bettors to win this week, with 23 percent of the total bets and 18 percent of the money on him.
--Justin Thomas (+1400) has previously finished third at this event in 2019 and is seeking his first win since the 2022 PGA Championship. After a solo second at the AmEx, Thomas finished T48 last week.
--Hideki Matsuyama (+1600) is also a two-time winner of this event (2016-17) and won the season-opening The Sentry.
--Tom Kim (+2800) is coming off a strong performance at Pebble Beach, where he finished T70 despite struggling in the final round with a 70. Kim thrives in front of a lively crowd (as seen in the Presidents Cup), and he has received the second-highest backing from bettors to win this week, with 7 percent of the money on him.
--Nick Taylor (+6000) defeated Charley Hoffman in a playoff last year after finishing second to Scheffler in 2023. He also won his fifth career PGA Tour event at the Sony Open last month.
NOTES
--The field includes 29 of the
