I won’t hold it against Sepp Straka. He played exceptionally well at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and at 50/1, I hoped he banked everyone some each-way pennies.
Rory McIlroy was sublime and while the Northern Irishman takes the week off after winning his 27th PGA Tour title, Straka is back for more at the 2025 WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.
Scottie Scheffler seemed to ignore whatever discomfort might be left in his once-injured hand at Pebble Beach by banking another top-10. He returns to the most raucous event on the PGA Tour as a two-time former champion and justified favourite.
There is a good field heading to Phoenix, as there usually is. Scheffler, Hideki Matsuyama, Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Thomas, Akshay Bhatia, Rickie Fowler, Max Homa, Robert MacIntyre, Jordan Spieth and Sahith Theegala are all in the field.
So after a minor victory with my Austrian friend on the Monterrey Peninsula last week, let’s see if we can pick up a winner in our Phoenix Open best bets.
WM Phoenix Open best bets
Venue: TPC Scottsdale, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Date: February 6-9, 2025
Course stats: Par 71, 7,261 yards
Defending champion: Nick Taylor (-21)
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Best bets for Phoenix Open
Scottie Scheffler @ 10/3
The percentage player perhaps, but put aside that Scheffler won nine times in 2024 and became a two-time major champion, his record at the WM Phoenix Open is superb. He missed the cut on his debut in 2020, but he then went on a run of tied for seventh, win, win, tied for third.
The 28-year-old Texan clearly has no issue with TPC Scottsdale and the atmosphere it promises. It is no surprise that in 2024, Scheffler gained over two strokes approaching the green and over one stroke off the tee, but it was his putting that let him down if you go by the numbers.
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It is remarkable for such a prolific player to struggle so much around the greens, but his ball-striking abilities clearly suit the terrain of TPC Scottsdale. He played solidly at Pebble Beach without contending for the lead. Coming tied for ninth at this venue and this tournament on your seasonal reappearance is a good sign.
You don’t need to dive too deep into numbers and facts about Scheffler. His record in Phoenix is superb and while there are many stars competing this week, there aren’t as many as the Signature Event last week, which bodes well for his progress up the leaderboard this week.
Sahith Theegala @ 50/1
Sahith Theegala is the spiritual champion of Phoenix. He gained thousands of fans for how he handled himself when he fell out of contention on Sunday at this event in 2022, finding the water on the short par-4 17th hole.
He still came tied for third and in 2024, he came outright fifth. If there was one player who deserves to win this event, it’s the likeable Theegala. There might be some heart overhead here, but let’s continue. Theegala came second twice last season, tied for fourth at the Genesis Scottish Open and third at the Tour Championship.
His first four starts of 2025 have been underwhelming. He hasn’t cracked the top 36 yet, but I like his activity and his form from last season would suggest another big season is coming. His form read missed cut, tied for 64th and tied for 20th in the lead-up to last year’s Phoenix Open, so there is no need for concern.
He was 16th in total strokes gained on the PGA Tour in 2024 as he was consistent across the board with ball striking and putting. This speaks to why he made nine top-10s in 26 events last year and only missed four cuts. At this event, you can’t let Theegala go at that price.
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Matt Fitzpatrick @ 70/1
Matt Fitzpatrick’s presence in betting markets is stark to me and this is largely because he has big numbers next to his name nowadays. But like the aforementioned pair, Fitzpatrick has a half-decent record at TPC Scottsdale. His form reads tied for 10th, tied for 29th and tied for 15th in the desert.
The Englishman has been hitting plenty of greens so far this year and his putting average is solid. He might not have had the results he’s wanted so far in his two PGA Tour appearances, but this former US Open champion still garners a lot of respect at such a big price.
He came fifth at the Players Championship and tied for fifth at the Memorial Tournament in 2024, so he is no stranger to playing well at big PGA Tour events, having also won at Harbour Town in 2023. His putting is never in question, nor is his newfound length. His strokes gained stats in 2024 were very solid.
Fitzpatrick gained a full stroke off the tee at TPC Scottsdale in 2024, but the rest of his game cost him a couple more places up the leaderboard. If he can find more greens and reduce the proximity to the hole with his approaches, this time around in Phoenix, Fitzpatrick could taste victory.
Luke Clanton @ 66/1
Luke Clanton is the World No.1 amateur men’s golfer, but he is already making his presence felt in the professional ranks. He is just 21 years old and he already has two runner-up finishes already to his name on the PGA Tour, which came at last year’s John Deere Classic and RSM Classic.
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He also came fifth at the Wyndham Championship, so he has been on the cusp of winning PGA Tour titles beyond his years. Even in 2025, he has come tied for 15th at Torrey Pines at the Farmers Insurance Open and the WM Phoenix Open seems the perfect platform to showcase his talent again.
2024 was a special year for Clanton. He helped Florida State to the final of the NCAA Championship and he was only beaten by Neal Shipley in the race for low amateur honours at the US Open at Pinehurst. There is no doubt in his quality and he proved this by only missing one cut in the eight pro events he started in 2024.
Since Nick Dunlap’s incredible victory as an amateur at least year’s Amex, players at that level have more inspiration than ever to follow his in footsteps.
Here is what the bookies think: https://betway.com/en/sports/cat/golf
WM Phoenix Open Winner
- Scottie Scheffler – 11/4
- Justin Thomas – 12/1
- Hideki Matsuyama – 14/1
- Sam Burns – 18/1
- Sungjae Im – 22/1
- Tom Kim – 25/1
- Corey Connors – 33/1
- Nick Taylor – 33/1
- Sepp Straka – 33/1
- Byeong Hun An – 40/1
- Rasmus Hojgaard – 40/1
- Robert MacIntyre – 40/1
- Sahith Theegala – 40/1
- Si Woo Kim – 40/1
- Billy Horschel – 50/1
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What do you make of our Phoenix Open best bets? Which players would you add to your Phoenix Open best bets? Tell us on X!
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