Horse For The Course: PGA DFS Course History - 2026 WM Phoenix Open

February 2, 2026

Todd McGill's DraftKings, FanDuel PGA DFS picks for the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Picks for daily fantasy golf based on course history

It was a dominant performance last week for Justin Rose, who won the Farmers Insurance Open by seven shots in wire-to-wire fashion. The 45-year-old continues to show up at big events and redefine who can have success on the PGA Tour. Torrey Pines South Course is one of the longest venues guys will see all season, and technological advancements in equipment and body prep are helping to extend careers. Rose is a prime example that anyone can still win any given week.

The greatest show on grass is on deck this week at the WM Phoenix Open, as many stars are making their way to TPC Scottsdale to play arguably the tour's most popular event. It's also one of the oldest events on the schedule, dating back nearly 100 years. Lore around this tournament hasn't always aligned with the craziness as it does now, but it is undoubtedly the one event where fans and the tour itself, to some extent, let their hair down. This favored stop among some tour players makes course history an important piece of the puzzle.

Horse For The Course is an article highlighting players in this week's field with elite course history and is part of our free PGA DFS content here at RotoBaller. For some of the favorite DFS plays of the week, check out the Core Four article written by my buddy, Joe Nicely, here at RotoBaller every Wednesday. It's part of our amazing PGA Premium package that includes an all-new PGA Research Station, Lineup Builder & Optimizer, and some of the best articles in the PGA DFS industry! You can sign up now using the Promo Code TDG for an extra discount at checkout!

2026 WM Phoenix Open

With Thomas Detry's departure to LIV Golf, there will be no title defense talks this week. But, with world no. 1 Scotty Scheffler making his second start of the year, along with a load of other big names, this year's event shouldn't go without its usual load of drunken excitement. Brooks Koepka will also be in the field for his second start back on the PGA Tour. The desert holds special value for the five-time major champion, as it was his first career win on the tour back in 2015.

This is the most attended golf tournament on the PGA Tour, usually smashing attendance records compared to other stops. The rowdiness and general atmosphere are unlike anything found elsewhere in the golfing world, with the stadium hole, number 16, being the epicenter for most of the hysteria.

Seeing people chuck beers onto the green at the sight of a hole-in-one usually fills TV viewers with envy or disgust, and depending on how you're wired, you will probably experience one of the two emotions at some point during the broadcast. It's truly a place where Happy Gilmore would have thrived.

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TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course)

Par 71 - 7,261 | Greens: Overseeded Bermuda | Designed By: Tom Weiskopf

While I wouldn't label this event an outright birdie fest, it isn't far off. Players can't get away with an even or over-par round, but a day of shooting -1 or -2 under doesn't sink your ship like at other venues. However, it should be expected that players will at least need to hit the -15 under or better mark to have a chance.

Strokes gained off the tee is an important stat line for success at TPC Scottsdale, as difficult fairways force guys to navigate their shots around strategically placed bunkers and water hazards. However, the flat stick is the club that ultimately leads to winning here. Thomas Detry gained over eight strokes putting last year in his dominant seven-shot victory.

This venue can really test all facets of a player's game, with 40% of approach shots coming from 150-200 yards out and two big par-5s; even the short game has to be somewhat dialed to stay in the mix down the stretch. Three of the final four holes are some of the most getable on the course, with a reachable par-5, a short par-3, and a drivable par-4. If a guy is going to win here, he must play this stretch well, which can put a lot of stress on chipping and pitching. Whoever lifts the trophy on Sunday will have played well from just about everywhere.

Recent WM Phoenix Open Winners

• 2025: Thomas Detry (-24)
• 2024: Nick Taylor (-21)
• 2023: Scottie Scheffler (-19)
• 2022: Scottie Scheffler (-16)
• 2021: Brooks Koepka (-19)

The Horse

Scottie Scheffler

• Notable Finishes: 1st ('22 & '23), T3 ('24)

I'm sure no one reading this piece is surprised to see Scottie Scheffler as the horse at TPC Scottsdale, or any other place on the planet with a golf course, for that matter. He's been exquisite in his six previous appearances in this event. Posting a total strokes gained average of +2.897 over his last 20 rounds.

The 29-year-old is better than 99% of touring pros in strokes gained on approach, with distance parameters being irrelevant. He also has an underrated short game and has become more than an average putter these days. It's bound to be another high-performance week for Scheffler, especially after a victory in his last outing at the AMEX.

The Ponies

Brooks Koepka

• Notable Finishes: 1st ('21), T3 ('22)

We are so BacK pic.twitter.com/4q3zAL2hDl

— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) January 28, 2026

It was a ho-hum return to the PGA Tour for Brooks Koepka, who narrowly made the cut on Friday and ultimately finished T56. It was still a pleasant sight to see him back inside the ropes, and he'll have another chance at a good performance this week at the WM Phoenix Open, which has seemingly been the one outlier event to get his attention outside of major championships.

The 35-year-old has won twice in five career appearances and has never missed a cut. He ranks third in the field in strokes gained on approach and putting at this venue over the last five seasons. The flat stick was not cooperating last week at Torrey Pines, as he averaged -2.37 strokes gained putting over the four rounds played. However, everything from tee to green was intriguing to see right out the gate. Expect Koepka to improve on last week's output.

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Xander Schauffele

• Notable Finishes: Never finished worse than T17 in six appearances

Xander Schauffele misses his first cut in 1,391 days.

The streak dating back to the 2022 Masters ends today @FarmersInsOpen. pic.twitter.com/244vfW8M2L

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 31, 2026

While it's been a successful event in terms of money won and FedEx Cup points earned, it is a bit frustrating that Xander Schauffele has never won this tournament. The man is a ball-striking machine around these 18 holes, averaging over a combined two strokes gained off the tee and on approach over his last 12 rounds here.

Putting has been costly for the 32-year-old, as he's struggled to make enough putts to hoist the trophy. The metrics show he's averaged +0.427 strokes gained putting here, but that is a rather inflated number thanks to a solid performance on the greens in 2021. Otherwise, he's averaged -0.47 in three of his last four appearances. It gets even more worrisome considering how he performed last week at Torey. Given what is known, it will be interesting to see how he does after skipping this event for the past two seasons.

Jordan Spieth 

• Notable Finishes: T4 ('21 & '25), T6 ('23 & '24)

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🔗 https://t.co/LN25lA9NNN pic.twitter.com/0pW9b1EsyH

— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) January 27, 2026

It fills me with hope every time I can put Jordan Spieth in one of these articles, especially given the journey he's been on the last few years with poor play and injuries. Regardless of anyone's thoughts on the direction his career has taken, he's still one of the premium tee-to-green players in professional golf.

We got so accustomed to witnessing him make hundreds of feet worth of putts that we forgot how talented he is in the other parts of his game. To the point where he became handicapped in the eyes of fans by the thought that he couldn't be successful without making every putt he looked at. And while there is some validity to that sentiment, his performance at TPC Scottsdale has been much more focused on ball striking.

Over his last 20 rounds at this event, Spieth has averaged +1.086 strokes gained on approach, which ranks second in the field. This place is such a fit for a Jordan Speith victory, and if he's improved on the solid showing he had in Hawaii a few weeks ago, this could be the week to see it.

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