2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open FanDuel Report
The Waste Management Phoenix Open is here and that means it’s time to party! This tournament brings in one of the rowdiest crowds on tour and that atmosphere is not for the faint of heart. We’re down to just one course this week, as it is with the majority of tournaments. This week the course is TPC Scottsdale, which is a Par 71, measuring 7,261 yards, with Bermuda greens. The field is smaller than it has been over the last couple of weeks, down to 132 golfers, with the top 65 (and ties) making the cut after Friday.
This course has three Par 5’s, and five of the 11 Par 4’s are at least 450 yards. The roughs aren’t very high, so they won’t be as penalizing if you have a bad tee shot. One advantage will be for the longer hitters, especially with the Par 5’s and longer Par 4’s. With the greens, they run pure and fast.
So, we have a bit of a breakdown of the course, now let’s get into why you clicked onto this article in the first place.
$10k+
Cash: Justin Thomas - $11,900:
One of the most popular plays here will be Jon Rahm, and I can’t blame anyone that plays him. I know I’ll have some exposure to him, but I’ll be more overweight on JT. Thomas is projected to have about a 15 percent ownership, compared to Rahm’s 25. Thomas missed the cut at the Sony, but he also finished first at the Tournament of Champions and T5 at the Hero. He also finished third at this event last year. Over his last 50 rounds, Thomas is in the top five in the following categories: SG: BS, SG OTT, SG: P4, SG: P5, and Opp Gained.
GPP: Webb Simpson - $11,700:
Simpson may not be the longest hitter on tour, ranking 109th in Dr Distance among the field, but his ownership is projected to be just over 10 percent. Simpson ranks in the top 30 in SG: BS, SG: ARG, SG: P4, SG: P5, and Opp Gained. Over his last three PGA Tour appearances, he has a T10 and two top-three finishes. He also knows this event very well, with a T20 last year, second place in 2017, and T14 in 2016.
Pivot: Bubba Watson - $10,600
Fade: Jordan Spieth - $10,300
$9k+
Cash: Byeong Hun An - $9,600:
Byeong Hun An isn’t someone I wrote up in my piece last week, but he’s someone I did have some exposure to in GPPs and I do like him quite a bit in Cash lineups for this week. Yes, he finished T68 at the Farmers last week, but he has two top-25 finishes here over the last couple of years to go along with a sixth-place finish in 2017. An is fourth in SG: ARG, 16th in SG: P4, and top-40 in both Opp Gained and Dr Distance.
GPP: Daniel Berger - $9,800:
Berger isn’t going to wow you with his stats, though he is top-30 in SG: ARG, SG: OTT, and Dr Distance. What I like about Berger this week is his history at the WMPO. In three of his last five appearances, he has a T11, T7, and T10. His projected ownership is just under seven percent, which makes for a really nice tournament play.
Pivot: Russell Knox - $9,400
Fade: Andrew Putnam - $9,200
$8k+
Cash: Martin Laird - $8,900:
Laird has three top-10 finishes here over the last five years, along with a T26 last year. He finished T55 last week at the Farmers, but I think he can still be used in cash lineups this week. He ranks 37th in SG: BS, 44th in SG: OTT, 35th in SG: P5, and 43rd in Dr Distance. For someone in this price range, with the course history that he has, I’m willing to take my chances on Laird.
GPP: Lanto Griffin - $8,500:
Griffin really hurt me last week, as he missed the cut at the Farmers and I had quite a bit of ownership. I’m going back to the well this week because he’s checking a lot of boxes for me. He’s second in SG: P5, top-40 in SG: ARG and Dr Distance, and his ownership should be under eight percent.
Pivot: Rory Sabbatini - $8,800
Fade: Adam Hadwin - $8,600
$7k+
Cash: Kevin Streelman - $7,800:
In this price range, you really want guys that can make the cut and then hope for the best over the weekend. Streelman has made the cut here over the last two years, with T50 and T40 finishes. He ranks 11th in SG: BS, 31st in SG: OTT, and 21st in SG: P5.
GPP: Trey Mullinax - $7,100:
Mullinax is a guy that was fairly high in my model this week. He finished T15 here last year, and it’s his Dr Distance (first) and Opp Gained (16th) that really stand out to me. He’s also top-26 in SG: BS, SG: OTT, and SG: P5.
Key Stats “Key”:
SG: BS = Strokes Gained Ball Striking
SG: ARG = Strokes Gained Around the Greens
Dr. Distance = Driving Distance
SG: P4 = Strokes Gained Par 4 Scoring
SG: P5 = Strokes Gained Par 5 Scoring
SG: OTT = Strokes Gained Off the Tee
Opp Gained = Birdie Opportunities inside 15 feet from green/fringe
* All Stats and Ownership Projections courtesy of Fantasy National