The WM Phoenix Open is the party of the year, at least in the golf world.
This was one of the first PGA TOUR events I attended back in the and I must say it lives up to the hype. It’s only gotten bigger and bigger since then, with the amount of grandstands and additional seating growing year after year.
While its fun to attend in person, it’s also a fun event to watch on television. There are so many exciting risk-reward holes coming down the stretch, it always provides a lot of drama. Let’s dive into the betting options to see what stands out this week.
Keith Mitchell - Top-40 Finish (-110)
This week’s course allows you to hit a lot of drivers, which is Mitchell’s strength. He arrives off a close call at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am but that wasn’t his first taste of recent success.
Going back to last season, he’s finished top 40 in 12 of his last 17 starts (71%) so I like his odds here on a market that many consider to be too boring to bother with.
So, while the top-40 market may not pay out the big bucks, Mitchell should bring plenty of excitement and I like his chances to stay hot as he turns his attention toward TPC Scottsdale.
Rory McIlroy over Jon Rahm - Tournament Matchup (+110)
This is an exciting matchup between two of the best in the world right now. They are both winning events at an insane clip and now they finally square up in the same field.
Going back to the start of last season, they’ve played 12 overlapping events and McIlroy has gotten the better of Rahm in nine of those starts, yet he’s the plus-money offering this week.
What we’re seeing here is the books giving a lot of value to the local comfort and course history that Rahm brings to the table. McIlroy finished top 15 in his lone visit here which falls right in line with most of Rahm’s finishes at TPC Scottsdale.
I will side with the one-year baseline data instead of punishing McIlroy for only playing this event once.
