Phoenix Open 2019 Preview – January 31st, 2019
The action on the PGA Tour moves on to Arizona this week for the Phoenix Open. It’s another big, popular event in what has been a great start to the new year. Heading into the action as the favourite is Spain’s Jon Rahm who is a great desert golf player and went to Arizona State University as well. Can he put it all together at what is actually the most attended golf tournament in the world? Look out for the iconic 16th hole which is just epic with its stadium engulfing it.
Phoenix Open 2019 Winner Odds*
Jon Rahm 7/1
Justin Thomas 9/1
Hideki Matsuyama 12/1
Gary Woodland 18/1
Xander Schauffele 18/1
Tony Finau 18/1
Rickie Fowler 20/1
Webb Simpson 20/1
Phil Mickelson 22/1
Matt Kuchar 28/1
Cameron Smith 33/1
Adam Hadwin 35/1
Billy Horschel 40/1
Bubba Watson 40/1
Chez Reavie 45/1
50/1 bar
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 29th, 2019 at 1:52 pm)
Rahm still running hot
Spain’s Jon Rahm who is currently sixth in the world has come out of the starting blocks well in 2019. He carded a top ten finish over the weekend at the Farmers Insurance in what was his third top ten finish this season. He has won this season, collecting the Hero World Challenge towards the back end of the last calendar year. The numbers stack up for him and he is going off on familiar territory in this one. Rahm is the 7/1 outright favourite* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 29th, 2019 at 1:52 pm). He hasn’t done bad at Scottsdale before either, with three straight top-fifteen finishes, the best of which was a fifth.
Matsuyama makes a case
There is a pretty strong case to be made for Hideki Matsuyama as he is a two-time winner of the Phoenix Open. He roared back into form with a tie for third at the Farmers Open over the weekend. He has such a good track record at Scottsdale and he will be keen to lay down a strong tournament having had to retire in last year’s second round with an injury. He will make a popular 12/1 odds option* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 29th, 2019 at 1:52 pm)
Matt Kuchar has won two of his last four events on the PGA and he is a player who has done well recently at the Phoenix Open as well. The American has banked back to back top ten finishes at the tournament. Another player with a fair hand of consistency over the course is Brendan Steele who has produced four top ten finishes in his last six attempts at the course, all six of those being top twenty finishes anyway. Steele is 7/2 to get back in the top twenty and 100/1 to win outright* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 29th, 2019 at 1:52 pm)
Big hitters can swing
This is a course which is prime fodder for the big hitters in the game. They don’t come much bigger than Bubba Watson who has two runners-up places in his career at Scottsdale. There does appear to be a little bit of an advantage to anyone is going to be bold enough to go out and attack the flag in this one. Rickie Fowler incidentally, like Bubba Watson is another player who has taken two-second place finishes at the Phoenix Open before.
Webb Simpson is trading well in the outright winner market and has carded four top ten finishes in his last five starts on the Tour. He has a pretty solid history in Phoenix as well without having gotten a win under his belt there.
Some longer shots
You can throw Ryan Palmer into that same mix and after a great showing at Torrey Pines last time out could be worth a look to get into the top ten frame this weekend. Then you have Gary Woodland who has two top ten finished (one-second place) this season in his last three starts. He took a ninth-place finish last weekend at the Farmers so is carrying a bit of steady form. Woodland is also the reigning champion of the Phoenix Open.
Another of the men in big form at the moment it Talor Gooch who is at a big 100/1 price but that means he is pretty decent value for a top twenty finish* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 29th, 2019 at 1:52 pm). Gooch took a third-place finish last weekend at Torrey Pines and that was after a fourth-place finish on week three of the season. Justin Thomas has two top twenty finishes at Scottsdale from four previous attempts.
Prediction
Another star-studded tournament and this is just a great spectacle in golf, with the unusual feature of raucous crowds. There are a lot of players taking part here who have pretty decent track records at the event. We have to jump on Jon Rahm to get some kind of result out of this and for coverage, he is a nice little flutter at 5/4 for a top-five finish* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 29th, 2019 at 1:52 pm).
Hideki Matsuyama can’t be ignored because of form last weekend and his proven winning hand at Scottsdale. For us, it is Gary Woodland who looks a decent shot at around 2/1 odds to bank himself a top ten finish in the field* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 29th, 2019 at 1:52 pm).. He is the reigning champion and he has been in solid shape with his top ten finish at Torrey Pines. He can get another top ten this weekend.
