3 months agoThe 2023 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year has done anything but rest on his laurels to begin the new year. After running through the fall swing with four top-four finishes in five starts, Eric Cole has logged finishes of 14th, 13th, 21st, and 14th in four of five starts to begin his 2024 campaign. Cole remains one of the most prolific iron players on the PGA Tour, a skill that's backed up by his propensity to get red-hot on the greens -- gained at least 3.5 strokes putting in 11 measured starts over his last 12 months on tour. TPC Scottsdale will provide one of his most daunting tee-to-green tests in some time, though, as Cole's notoriously wayward driver will be tested by a course with one of the highest missed fairway penalties on tour. If he can keep his driver under control, however, the rest of his game remains stellar enough to put him in the mix once again on a Sunday afternoon.
--Ian McNeill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoTwo years removed from his introduction to most of the golfing public, Sahith Theegala will once again do battle with a course he feels will owe him one from his 2022 heartbreak. The third-place finish he recorded here at the WM Open was the closest the then 24-year-old American had come to a professional victory, but a horrible left kick on the 71st hole denied him a shot to claim at least a spot in the sudden-death playoff won by Scottie Scheffler. This year, now armed with the distinction of being a PGA Tour winner and a top 25 player on the planet, Theegala's star is shining brighter than ever in the golfing world. He'll no doubt be one of the fan favorites for the over 700,000 projected to be in attendance, and he's proved time and time again that his game is capable of mixing it up at some of the most iconic venues professional golf has to offer.
--Ian McNeill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoMuch of the discourse around Max Homa over the last few weeks has been on his stellar record in his home state of California, but since 2019, the Burbank, CA native has put down roots just a few miles down the road from TPC Scottsdale. He hasn't yet reached the same professional heights here in the desert as he has in the Golden State, but with two top 15 finishes over the last four seasons at the WM Open, plus the distinction of one of the betting favorites heading into 2024's iteration, Homa has established himself as a main figure in this star-studded field. Max has proven time and time again that his best is capable of conquering some of the most daunting venues on the PGA Tour. With six Top 10s (and one win), to his name since the end of last July, it's difficult to cast much doubt on Homa's prospects this week.
--Ian McNeill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoTaylor Montgomery is enjoying a great stretch of golf heading into the WM Phoenix Open. The second-year PGA Tour pro missed a cut at the Fortinet Championship to kick off the 2024 season, but has made eight-straight cuts since, including four top-20 finishes and back-to-back events where he gained over three and a half strokes putting. Montgomery can be erratic off-the-tee, but TPC Scottsdale boasts the fourth-lowest missed fairway penalty on tour. He should have the opportunity to score this week, as he enters the week ranking 14th in scrambling, fifth in birdie-or-better percentage gained, and second in overall putting over the last 36 rounds. In the year of the long shots, it would be no surprise for fantasy managers to see Montgomery toward the top of the leaderboard on Sunday.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
3 months agoMark Hubbard isn't always the model of consistency, but he is certainly trending in the right direction heading into the WM Phoenix Open. The OWGR No. 66 heads to Scottsdale on the heels of four-straight made cuts, including a T20 at the Farmers and a T4 at Pebble Beach last week. Hubbard had a disastrous missed cut at this event last year, but did make the cut in his previous four starts, including a T9 in 2020. Hubbard should be a solid course fit as well, as he ranks 24th in good drive percentage, 11th in overall approach, 29th in bogey avoidance and 18th in par five scoring over the last 36 rounds. While fantasy managers shouldn't expect Hubbard to pick up his first career PGA Tour win this week, his recent form is pointing to what could be his 13th career top-10 finish.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
3 months agoBrendon Todd should be on the radar of fantasy managers this week. The 38-year-old University of Georgia alum hasn't missed a cut since the Travelers Championship last June, and he's yet to lose strokes on approach in the 2024 season. He's certainly not the sexiest name in the $7,000 range on DraftKings, but he should come with an ownership discount as a result. Todd will benefit from added distance off-the-tee in Scottsdale, and he enters the week ranking 23rd on approach, seventh in scrambling, 37th in putting, and 12th in bogey avoidance over the last 36 rounds. This should be a recipe for success at TPC Scottsdale, just as it was for Todd's T22 finish here in 2021 and T26 finish in 2022. Todd could be an under-the-radar play that pays off big for fantasy managers this week.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
3 months agoThere's a lot of love being heaped on Kurt Kitayama as a long-shot outright winner for this week's WM Phoenix Open. The 31-year-old star has certainly proven he can compete with the best, as he's racked up seven top-10 finishes and a victory at the elevated Arnold Palmer Invitational in his first two seasons as a PGA Tour pro. But Kitayama has flashed limited upside since his T4 finish at the PGA Championship in May of 2023, having only posted one top-20 finish in his twelve starts since. He's generally known as an excellent long-iron player and enters the week having gained strokes on approach in five-straight starts, but he'll need to find some magic with his putter to have any chance at contending this week. Kitayama has lost strokes on the green in ten-straight starts, however, he did gain over three strokes putting at this course last year en route to a T23 finish. Fantasy managers will face a tough choice weighing recent form, course history, and pedigree when evaluating Kitayama this week.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
3 months agoAustin Eckroat is in solid recent form heading into the WM Phoenix Open. The 25-year-old Oklahoma State University alum has gained total strokes and made the cut in five-straight starts, including a T23 at the World Wide Technology Championship, a T8 at the RSM Classic, and a T25 at The American Express. He's also riding hot on the greens, having gained 2.6 and 5.6 strokes putting in his last two starts. Eckroat should find himself in good position off-the-tee as he ranks 15th in good drive percentage over the last 36 rounds, and his success this week will likely be determined by his notoriously streaky approach play. With a mere $7,000 price tag on DraftKings, fantasy managers should strongly consider getting some exposure to Eckroat and hope his momentum carries over to Scottsdale.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
3 months agoLuke List could be in line for an excellent week at the WM Phoenix Open. The 39-year-old PGA Tour veteran has the 17th best adjusted course fit, and he enters the week ranking fourth in strokes gained off-the-tee, sixth in greens-in-regulation percentage, 18th in opportunities gained and 28th in birdie-or-better percentage gained over the last 36 rounds. Priced at just $7,100 on DraftKings, List does rank 127th in overall putting, but it is well-documented that TPC Scottsdale has produced several winners in recent years who are not known for their prowess on the greens. List also checks the recent form box as he has yet to miss a cut in the 2024 season, while also picking up a win at the Sanderson Farms Championship to go along with five other top-25 finishes in just ten starts. He doesn't have elite course history here but has gained strokes ball-striking for the last seven years at this event. Fantasy managers rolling the dice on a hot putting week for List could see massive rewards come Sunday.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
3 months agoIt was this time last year that Rickie Fowler officially put himself back on the map for many golf fans. The 34-year-old was throwing darts all over TPC Scottsdale en route to a T10 finish, gaining 6.3 strokes on approach and 4.1 strokes putting. So far in 2024, however, things have looked bleak. The California native has been lost with the flat stick, and his irons have not been firing on all cylinders as they were in early-to-mid 2023. A price drop to $8,200 on DraftKings still doesn't provide enough value to warrant a play on Fowler during this dreadful stretch. Most will need to see more from the Puma rep before they hop back on the Rickie Train.
--Tommy BellSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoByeong Hun An has turned some heads early in 2024, as he quickly placed in the top five in both the Sentry and Sony Open tournaments to start the year. His showing at Pebble Beach was not nearly as glamorous, but the 32-year-old certainly won't scoff at a T31 finish. Now An heads to TPC Scottsdale, where he'll make his Phoenix Open debut. The South Korean will have to dial in his approach game a bit more to go along with stellar form in his putting and driving of late if he wants to hoist a trophy on Super Bowl Sunday. An seems a bit too pricey at $8,800 to warrant a roster spot on a course in which he lacks any real experience, but it's tough to deny his upside when he gets hot. Play him at your own risk.
--Tommy BellSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoMatt Fitzpatrick heads to the Waste Management Phoenix Open this week coming off of a T58 at Pebble Beach and a missed cut at the Sony Open. Surprisingly, it's been the irons that have let Fitzy down of late. Outside of a spark in the pan during his runner-up finish at the BMW Championship last August, the Englishman hasn't gained more than 1.9 strokes on approach since last July. With the putter and driving coming and going without warning, it's tough to trust the 29-year-old, even with his decent course history of a T29 and T10 the past two years. At $9,400 this week on DraftKings, fantasy managers can look elsewhere for a safety/upside combo play in that range.
--Tommy BellSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoBeau Hossler has quickly become one of the more consistent players on the PGA Tour. After being known as a short-game star, Hossler has improved his ball striking since the summer. Following a brutal missed cut at Wyndham, Hossler has five top-15 finishes in nine starts and hasn't missed a cut. Hossler has great success on the greens at TPC Scottsdale but struggled on approach, so his improved game could lead to another good week for Hossler.
--Rob RoseSource: PGATOUR.com
3 months agoAfter a solid summer and great fall, Tom Kim has been battling this winter. Between three starts in Hawaii and California, Kim has missed a cut and finished outside the top 30 twice. Kim appears to be struggling the most with putting but outside of driving accuracy, Kim has been below his normal average across the board. He has the skills to snap out of this slump any week, but until he does it's tough to deploy him with confidence.
--Rob RoseSource: PGATOUR.com
3 months agoFrom week to week, it's hard to know which version of Cameron Young will appear. Some weeks Young's elite ball-striking skills offer him a ton of chances at birdies and he contends for a victory. However, most weeks see Young struggle to convert those birdies or scramble for par when his tee-to-green game is off. During his Rookie of the Year season, Young was among the better players on the PGA Tour with his putter, but the past two seasons have seen him lose strokes on the green.
--Rob RoseSource: PGATOUR.com
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