Preview & Picks: The WM Open

This weekend is one of the best weekends of the entire year.

Beers will be consumed, tops will be popped, people will be arrested, and thousands will call off work on Monday. You can bet your bottom dollar on it.

God bless America. Let’s dive in.

Big names tend to win at TPC Scottsdale, and there’s a bunch of big names in the field this week:

Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, and Ben Griffin are the top ranked players in the field.

Outside of them, Jordan Spieth, Cameron Young, Chris Gotterup, Harris English, Collin Morikawa, Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, and Min Woo are some of the other big names teeing it up.

  • The average winning score at the WM Open the last ten years is -18.2

  • Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler, and Hideki Matsuyama have all won this event twice, and Rickie Fowler once – all are in the field.

  • The cut line has been between -1 and +1 in 9 of the last 10 years.

Of course, it’s worth pointing out that in its last two iterations, the WM had unexpected winners in Nick Taylor and Thomas Detry.

So, while the big names tend to win, we all know anything can happen at the party in the desert.

More below.

The Details

Previous Winners

How To Watch

Featured Groups:

This is a highlight of some of the featured groups, for more go here.

Weekly Bets: WM Phoenix Open

We’ve partnered with Keith Stewart at Read The Line to share his weekly golf betting picks with the Caddyshanks crew. If you’re the type who enjoys breaking down matchups, spotting trends, and hunting for value, you’ll feel right at home in the RTL community. Join Here.

Keith Stewart’s Picks

Maverick McNealy (+3500 bet365)

I really like the way Maverick McNealy is playing golf this year. McNealy has gained an average of +5.5 strokes (total) in his two starts. That does sound great, but what I really love, Maverick is gaining in every strokes gained category in each start! Coming off a top 10 at the Farmers, Maverick is a top gun at TPC Scottsdale. His last two starts at the WM Phoenix Open? Sixth and ninth.

Kurt Kitayama (+7000 bet365)

If you want players to challenge the present-day king, you’ll need a serious ball striker. Kurt Kitayama has gained T2G in 13 straight measured events. You can’t slip by Scottie without the putter, and that can be a weakness for Kurt. The greens at TPC Scottsdale are pretty flat, and Kitayama has conquered them twice, gaining over three strokes with the putter in two of his three desert starts. Any player will need the planets to align if they are going to get Scheffler, at least Kurt’s aren’t too far apart.

Caddyshanks Picks

Scottie Scheffler (+220 Fanduel)

Obviously, the value is in picking someone with longer odds who can beat Scottie, but the guy already helped us turn $100 into $400 so, we will continue to ride with him every week in the hopes that he can turn in another 5+ win season. Also, don’t hate Scottie +1100 FRL.

Chris Gotterup (+3500 Fanduel)

Chris Gotterup, Hideki Matsuyama, Si Woo Kim, and Sahith Theegala have all had hot starts to this year, and it feels like one of them is going to win soon. Hideki has won the WM Open twice already, Gotterup is an elite driver which is essential at the WM, and Sahith has played some of his best golf at this course. Si Woo doesn’t have the strongest results at TPC Scottsdale, but his play so far this season has been stellar. Pick your poison with this one.

Jordan Spieth (+5500 Fanduel)

There’s one week every year where I get an itch to bet Spieth – I just can’t help myself. Maybe it’s the delusional belief that I can personally will him back to prominence, maybe it’s something else. Either way, it’s time to get on the rollercoaster.