PGA Betting – Phoenix Open Preview & Pick
Slowly but surely, the marquee PGA tournaments are arriving.
It would’ve been nice to be talkin’ Tiger in time for the Phoenix Open, but things have changed. He’s still not ready to come back. We must move on. There’s still plenty of good golf to watch – and wager on. Here are some top picks to weigh for this week.
Date: Thursday Feb. 25th – Sunday February 28th
Event: Waste Management Phoenix Open
Course: TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona
Purse: $6,000,000
Defending Champ: Kenny Perry
FedEX Cup Points Up For Grabs: 500
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Here are some picks to think about.
THE ELITE
Phil Mickelson
Phoenix Open odds: +715
Once again, the sportsbooks put Lefty way ahead of the pack, even though he’s done nothing to earn that respect this season. His best finish in a tournament is eighth and he hasn’t broken 71 on a Sunday yet. Perhaps because the TPC Scottsdale gets so noisy thanks to its wild crowds, the players who find a Zen-like state within the chaos and putt well tend to succeed at the Phoenix Open. Mickelson’s putter has been flat-out bad this year – he’s had 93 putts over his three Sunday rounds this season.
THE CONTENDERS
Geoff Ogilvy
Phoenix Open odds: +1615
The Aussie is a tough man to stop when his putter catches fire and his only stroke play start this year resulted in a victory at the SBS Championship. He constantly struggled at this tourney in the past, however, missing two of the last three cuts, and he’s played just one PGA event in the last six weeks, so he may be a bit raw.
J.B. Holmes
Phoenix Open odds: +1615
Normally, a guy like Holmes would be a sleeper, but sportsbooks have caught on. He cracked the top three in his last two tournaments. The craziest stat for Holmes? In his last four Phoenix Opens, he’s won the whole thing twice and missed the cut twice. He’s alternated that pattern exactly in the last four years. If you’re a stat-head, you should pick Holmes, as the sequence suggests he’s due to win again this year.
THE SOLID PICKS
Phoenix Open odds: +3050
Gay has five top-25 finishes already in 2010, so he’s in a better rhythm than most of the field. He’s also second on the Tour in putting and placed sixth at TPS Scottsdale last year. He has just the right skill set to succeed this weekend.
Zach Johnson
Phoenix Open odds: +3550
Johnson is a consistent betting favorite of mine thanks to his steely nerves and crisp ball striking. He’s the fifth-best putter on Tour statistically, so that only helps his chances at TPC Scottsdale. He was a respectable 12th at last year’s Phoenix Open, too.
THE SLEEPER
Kevin Na
Phoenix Open odds: +3050
Hardly a household name, Na may be one by Sunday night. He loves TPC Scottsdale, having finished fourth or better at this tournament three times in the last four years. He was dipping deep into the red figures last year, draining 21 birdies. He has the putting pedigree too, ranking ninth in that regard this season
THE PICK
I’m really torn between Johnson and Na. Johnson has a similar makeup to last year’s champ, Kenny Perry, but many of the recent winners (Holmes twice, Aaron Baddeley, Jonathan Kaye) weren’t big names. Some PGA experts say the higher-profile players actually feel more pressure than the little guys do at this event because the crowd is so raucous in Phoenix. For that reason, I like Kevin Na to sneak up on the star-studded field and steal the tourney this week.
Pick: Kevin Na +3050
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Shea Matthews lives and breathes sports. He made the transition from athlete to sports journalist at a young age, writing in TV & national newspapers. He now applies his knowledge to sports betting and handicapping every day, and shares his winning picks with the world.
One reply on “2010 PGA Phoenix Open Preview/Picks”
In the absence of Tiger I guess I can see why Mickelson is the perenial favorite every week but I’m taking a flyer on Sean O’Hair currently at +4000. I do not really have a solid reason why, I’m just playing a hunch.