2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open: PGA Golf Picks, Odds, Predictions 2/4/21

This week, the PGA Tour travels to Arizona for the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Before I dive into my favorite wagers, let’s take a look at the golf course the field will play and a few key facts that I felt would be relevant to golf bettors this week.  

The Waste Management Phoenix Open will be played at TPC Scottsdale. This course is a par 71 that measures 7,266 yards. This course appears to favor the golfer that pounds the golf ball off the tee and finds a high number of greens in regulation. It should be noted that the course did have upgrades in 2014. The course upgrades added length and strategically placed bunkers to make the course more difficult.

Upon reviewing the statistics of previous winners of this event it was evident to me that total driving is highly important to success at TPC Scottsdale. To illustrate that point, the last five winners of the Waste Management Phoenix Open were on average fifth in GIR (greens in regulation) and fifth in strokes gained tee to green in relation to the field the week that golfer won the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Key Facts

This event has been played at TPC Scottsdale every year since 1987.

TPC Scottsdale is approximately 1,530 feet above sea level.

Nine of the last ten winners of the Waste Management Phoenix Open had a top five finish in one of that player’s previous five tournaments leading up to this event.

Now let’s turn our attention to my betting recommendations for this week’s PGA Tour event.

Here is a golfer to consider placing on your card to finish in the top five.

Xander Schauffele +200 –  Yes, I know that this week’s event has a talented field that includes John Rahm and Rory McIlroy. However, Xander Schauffele is the golfer I have selected to lead my golf betting picks for the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Xander has played some outstanding and consistent golf over the course of the last six months.

Let’s take a look at the data to illustrate my point. Since the beginning of July, Xander has played 13 events on the PGA Tour. In those 13 events just mentioned, Schauffele has an impressive 11 top 17 finishes, including a second place result at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open. Xander has also played well at TPC Scottsdale previously. Schauffele finished tenth at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Here are two golfers to consider placing on your card to finish in the top 20. 

Corey Conners +275 The 29 year old Canadian has five top 24 finishes in his last six events played on the PGA Tour, including an impressive tenth place result at the Masters in November. I have been watching Conners play lately and he certainly passes my eye test.

Luke List +350 The American fired a final round 66 at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open on his way to an eventual tenth place finish. In relation to this week’s current listed 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open field, in the last 12 rounds played on the PGA Tour, List ranks second in strokes gained tee to green, third in strokes gained ball striking, and eighth in GIR (greens in regulation).