(Mike Mulholland//Getty Images)
We’ve arrived on the most electric weekend in golf, and boy are we excited. We head to the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale for the Waste Management Phoenix Open, also known as the biggest party on the PGA Tour. This is the highest-attended event of the PGA Tour and is only second to the Summer Olympics for the most-attended golf tournament.
The Waste Management is most known for its marquee 16th hole, the ‘Stadium’, or as I like to call it, the Colosseum of Golf. This par-three hole is surrounded by grandstands and drunk fans, who will wave towels and scream classic American songs at the top of their lungs, it’s a frat party on a course. These fans arrive early, sprint to the 16th hole when the gates open, and make any beer salesman's dreams come true. Here’s a quick video of what happened when American Sam Ryder made a hole-in-one last year: Link.
Despite the chaos in the crowd, golf is still being played. The field features 10 of the top 20 in the world, all competing for a cut of the $8.8 million purse. The course typically holds strong, as the winner over the last 10 years has scored an average of 17-under par. Eight of the last nine winners here have also won major championships; it takes a lot to win here, and those with pedigree can handle the heat of the fans better than most.
Defending Champion Scottie Scheffler headlines a group of high-powered players, even despite the late withdraws from Victor Hovland and Xander Schauffele. Max Homa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, and last week's winner Wyndham Clark fill out the field.
Scheffler comes to familiar territory, as he was the winner here the last two years. In 2022, he defeated Patrick Cantlay in a playoff to secure his first career PGA Tour win, starting one of the hottest runs in recent golf history. In 2023 he put up a -7 on the last day of the tournament to win by two strokes. If he can pull off the victory this weekend in Scottsdale he would be the first player to win the same tournament three years straight since Steve Stricker did it at the John Deere Classic from 2009-2011.
All that being said, let’s get into the things Stomping Ground Sports is watching for:
Justin Thomas
If you’ve read any of our golf content so far this season, you know how much we love JT. It feels like I say this every week, but it’s only a matter of time before he hoists a trophy above his head again. He’s my pick to win this weekend. His ball-striking has been unreal since late 2023, and he looks like the JT of old with his short-game approach and iron play. When he is at his best, he’s got a laser pointer with his irons. He has two top-6s this season, and he looks primed to take the winner’s circle early in 2024.
Hideki Matsuyama
One thing about TPC Scottsdale: guys who have succeeded here before, will succeed again. It is top-5 in the PGA in terms of predictive nature of past success. Matsuyama is a two-time champion at Waste Management as he went back to back in 2016 and 2017. He is a phenomenal driver and middle-iron player, two clubs that are imperative to winning this tournament. Matsuyama has been quiet in the past few years in terms of being featured in the winner's circle, but I expect the former Masters Champion to have a good weekend in the desert.
Kevin Yu
A Scottsdale resident and local, Kevin Yu has started the 2024 season as one of the hottest plays on tour. He has multiple top-six finishes, and the young man’s game fits perfectly to this course. He is tremendous with the driver in his hand and showed his approach game could hold up at Pebble Beach last week. If he can elevate his putter this week, he’ll have a strong chance to be a guy at the top of the leaderboard.
Jordan Spieth
Recording two top-6s in two out of his last three starts in this tournament, Spieth comes to Scottsdale looking to get hot. His game was strong in every aspect last weekend, but his putter killed him once again. He’s one of the best ball-strikers on tour right now and will be able to put the ball where it needs to be all weekend. If the putter heats up, this could be the week Jordan gets rolling before the tour schedule hits major championship season.
Get ready for one of the most electric weekends in golf, 16 will be firing on all cylinders, and the boys will be laser-focused on the course. Turn the TV on, find your favorite beverage of choice, and turn up the volume, cause we’re headed to the desert baby!
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