Waste Management Phoenix Open: What to know for Tour's biggest party
The PGA Tour interrupts its California swing with a quick trip to the desert for the Waste Management Phoenix Open from TPC Scottsdale.
The event has become the biggest party on the PGA Tour, with more than 700,000 fans attending last year's edition. The 2021 tournament will look drastically different due to COVID-19, but it's still set to host 5,000 fans a day. The famous par-3 16th - known for its boisterous crowd - will still feature the surrounding grandstand, but it won't come close to replicating the chaos of years past.
When: Feb. 4-7
Where: Scottsdale, Arizona
How to watch
| Date | Channel | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Thurs. Feb. 4 | Golf Channel | 11 a.m.-7 p.m. |
| Fri. Feb. 5 | Golf Channel | 3-7 p.m. |
| Sat. Feb. 6 | Golf Channel | 1-3 p.m. |
| NBC | 3-6 p.m. | |
| Sun. Feb. 7 | Golf Channel | 1-3 p.m. |
| NBC | 3-6 p.m. |
Recent results
The Waste Management Phoenix Open has served as the perfect sports appetizer for the Super Bowl in recent years.
Webb Simpson beat Tony Finau in a playoff last year, scoring birdies on his final two holes to force the playoff after Finau failed to capitalize on the scorable closing stretch at TPC Scottsdale.
The year before, fan-favorite Rickie Fowler overcame both the elements and a double- and triple-bogey in his final round to claim Tour title No. 5.
Six of the past seven Phoenix Opens were decided by one shot - with four of those ending in a playoff.
Previous winners
2020: Webb Simpson (-17) in a playoff over Tony Finau
2019: Rickie Fowler (-17) over Branden Grace
2018: Gary Woodland (-18) in a playoff over Chez Reavie
2017: Hideki Matsuyama (-17) in a playoff over Webb Simpson
2016: Hideki Matsuyama (-14) in a playoff over Rickie Fowler
2015: Brooks Koepka (-15) over 3 players
2014: Kevin Stadler (-16) over Bubba Watson, Graham DeLaet
2013: Phil Mickelson (-28) over Brandt Snedeker
The field
Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, and Xander Schauffele are the highest-ranked players in the stacked field, with all of them currently sitting inside the top six. McIlroy is making his debut at the Phoenix Open, but the other three have found success at the event in the past; Thomas most notably owns back-to-back third-place showings.
Defending champion Simpson, 2019 winner Fowler, two-time champ Hideki Matsuyama, 2015 winner Brooks Koepka, and world No. 14 Daniel Berger are among the other notables in the 132-man field.
Featured groups (all times ET)
Group: Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Si Woo Kim
Thursday - 9:50 a.m.
Friday - 2:10 p.m.
Group: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Daniel Berger
Thursday - 10:00 a.m.
Friday - 2:20 p.m.
Group: Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Harris English
Thursday - 2:10 p.m.
Friday - 9:50 a.m.
Group: Webb Simpson, Gary Woodland, Hideki Matsuyama
Thursday - 2:20 p.m.
Friday - 10:00 a.m.
The full list of groups and tee times can be found here.
The course
TPC Scottsdale is a 7,261-yard, par-71 course that features a thrilling set of finishing holes. The par-5 15th has an island green that could spell disaster for those attempting to go for it in two, and the aforementioned 16th is very well-known. No. 17 is underrated, as the driveable par 4 is the course's final eagle opportunity and tends to be a factor in determining the winner on Sunday.
Betting corner
Jon Rahm +700
Justin Thomas +800
Xander Schauffele +900
Rory McIlroy +1000
Webb Simpson +1400
Daniel Berger +1800
Hideki Matsuyama +2200
Harris English +2600
Will Zalatoris +3000
Sungjae Im +3200
Billy Horschel +3500
Louis Oosthuizen +3500
Rickie Fowler +3500
Ryan Palmer +3500
Brooks Koepka +3800
Matthew Wolff +3800
Scottie Scheffler +4500
(Odds source: theScore Bet)