TPC Scottsdale is one of Luke List’s favorite stops on the PGA Tour.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — TPC Scottsdale is one of Luke List’s favorite stops on the PGA Tour, even though he’s yet to finish above tied for 25th in seven career appearances at the course.
“Great to have the fans back, looks like we’ll have a great week of weather, one of my favorite tracks,” List said on Tuesday as fans peered beyond barriers at the golfers on the driving range preparing for the WM Phoenix Open.
“It’s in good shape, it sets up well. For me, if I can hit one of my drivers straight, I’ve got some advantages on some of the par 5s and some of the scoring clubs on the par 4s. For me in the past, the greens have been tough to read but I think the course sets up well if I can drive it straight that’ll be a huge advantage.”
Zalatoris, tied for the lead entering the final round, had an 8-footer on the final hole in regulation to win but missed by a hair. His chance to extend the playoff from 13 feet was just left of the cup.
The last two Tour stop winners are Tom Hoge at Pebble Beach last week, and the 37-year-old List. Both had gone more than 200 starts each without a win on Tour.
It’s that parity that speaks to the talent on the PGA Tour, List said.
“Everyone’s all in out here. Everybody believes they can win when they see guys that haven’t won before, and it gives guys like myself that hope that it’s still out there,” List said. “There’s no reason why the top guys can’t be challenged by some of the underdogs each week.”
List hopes the strides he’s made in putting will be a difference-maker for him on the course this week.
D.J. Gregory has walked over 14,000 miles at PGA Tour events and has raised over $1 million for charity.
D.J. Gregory was never supposed to walk. When he was an infant, doctors told his parents that he was most likely bound for a life in a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy.
They were wrong.
Gregory battled through multiple surgeries and learned to walk with the help of a cane. At the age of 12, Gregory fell in love with the game of golf and the rest, you could say, is history.
In the later part of 2019, Gregory started his Walking For Kids Foundation which allows PGA Tour players and fans of the sport to donate to children’s charities.
Recently, the foundation passed $1 million raised in total.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour honored Gregory with the PGA Tour Courage Award during a surprise ceremony at the WM Phoenix Open.
“D.J. has endeared himself to countless fans, players, staff, and tournaments for over a decade on the PGA Tour and is a tremendous example of perseverance and courage,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Our players have embraced D.J. over the years and continue to be motivated by his dedication to the Walking For Kids Foundation. We couldn’t be prouder of the impact he has made and the many lives he has touched in a positive way.”
Gregory is the fifth recipient of the award and first non-member of the PGA Tour to be honored.
Since 2008, Gregory has walked over 14,000 miles and 42,000 holes at PGA Tour events.
🚶♂️ 14,000 miles ⛳️ 42,000 holes ❤️ $1 million raised @WalkingForKids
During the award ceremony at TPC Scottsdale, Monahan announced that the PGA Tour would make a $25,000 donation to Walking For Kids. Waste Management then followed suit, as did Jon Rahm. Gregory will be walking with the World No. 1 throughout the week in Scottsdale. The two were together last summer at Torrey Pines when Rahm won the U.S. Open.
The rowdy crowds of Scottsdale, Arizona are being blessed this week with one of the best fields ever compiled for a non-major event. World No. 1 Jon Rahm is joined by the likes of Justin Thomas, the aforementioned Spieth, and defending champion Brooks Koepka.
Overall, six of the world’s top 10 players are in the field. Stacked.
Before jumping into some plays I like for the week, let’s cover some information about the course.
Golf course
TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course)
Par 71
7,261 yards
Weather
I was going to put together my normal weather graph for the week, however, it’s the desert. Zero percent chance of rain every tournament day with nothing but sun. There ya go.
Key stats
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee: Having length and accuracy around this track is important, the guys won’t want to play from the desert all week.
Approach from 150-200: Almost 50 percent of approach shots hit at TPC Scottsdale over the last several seasons are from this range. Overall, we’ll be targeting tee-to-green studs this week and hope we run into a hot putter.
Data Golf Information
Course Fit (compares golf courses based on the degree to which different golfer attributes — such as driving distance — to predict who performs well at each course – DataGolf): 1. Annandale Golf Club, 2. Southern Hills Country Club, 3. Silverado Resort and Spa
Trending: 1. Patrick Cantlay (Last three starts: 4, 9, T-4), 2. Viktor Hovland (T-30, T-4, 1), 3. Justin Thomas (T-5, T-5, T-20)
Percent chance to win (based on course history, fit, trending, etc.): 1. Jon Rahm (10.8 percent), 2. Patrick Cantlay (7.1 percent), 3. Justin Thomas (5.7 percent)
Latest Twilight 9 episode
This week’s episode of Twilight 9 will be released Wednesday (February 9th). This will be updated with links and player once available.
The only bet we cashed was Christiaan Bezuidenhout for Top South African at +180. Down 3.2 units last week. Time to bounce back.
+7.54 units in 2022.
Bubba Watson – Top 20 (+175)
Bubba Watson of the United States plays his shot from the third tee during the first round of the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club on December 10, 2021, in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Watson finished runner-up to Harold Varner III at last week’s Saudi International.
The two-time Masters champ hasn’t made an official start this season on the PGA Tour but has played well at the WMPO in recent years. He’s finished inside the top five in two of the last three seasons.
Xander Schauffele – Top 20 (+115)
Xander Schauffele hits his tee shot on the 13th hole during the third round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions golf tournament at Kapalua Resort – The Plantation Course. (Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Schauffele finished T-34 at Torrey Pines a few weeks ago but is coming off a top 20 performance at the Saudi International.
He’s finished inside the top 20 at the last four installments of this event, including a runner-up effort to Brooks Koepka last season.
Scottie Scheffler – Top 20 (+135)
Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of The Farmers Insurance Open on the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course on January 28, 2022, in La Jolla, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
I will not stop betting on Scottie until he wins. So he’s on the card again.
Scheffler’s last start was at Torrey and he tied for 20th. Last season, the Texan cashed a top 10 check at the WMPO. Come on Scottie, let’s get it done.
Other bets to consider
Andrew Putnam (Top 20, +320): He’s trending in the right direction. His last 3 starts: T-27, T-14, T-6 (Pebble). Last season, Putnam finished 7th at the WMPO after missing the cut in two consecutive appearances there.
Luke List (Top 20, +240): List is coming off a win at the Farmers Insurance Open and hasn’t finished outside the Top 22 in his last four starts. He’s finished inside the Top 30 in three of the last four Phoenix Opens.
*Full betting card will be on my Twitter sometime Wednesday, February 9th.
Everything you need to know for Thursday’s first round of the WM Phoenix Open.
After a beautiful week on the Monterey Peninsula for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am where Tom Hoge captured his first win, the PGA Tour heads to the desert for the 2022 WM Phoenix Open. Brooks Koepka enters the week as the defending champion after he chased down Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele last season for the win.
World No. 1 Jon Rahm leads a stacked field that includes the aforementioned Spieth, Koepka, and Schauffele along with Patrick Cantlay. In total, six of the world’s top 10 will tee it up at TPC Scottsdale.
This event is most famous for one thing — the loud and intimidating par-3 16th hole that’s packed with patrons who have been partying all day. This year’s event also marks the 25th anniversary of Tiger Woods’ hole-in-one heard around the world.
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Tee times
Hole 1
9:15 a.m.
Scott Piercy, Brian Harmon, Adam Schenk
9:26 a.m.
Troy Merritt, Russell Know, Tyler McCumber
9:37 a.m.
Kevin Streelman, Chesson Hadley, Nick Watney
9:48 a.m.
Garrick Higgo, Nate Lashley, Jimmy Walker
9:59 a.m.
Matt Jones, Adam Long, Luke Donald
10:10 a.m.
Robert Streb, Charles Howell III, Louis Oosthuizen
10:21 a.m.
Cam Davis, Carlos Ortiz, Sebastian Munoz
10:32 a.m.
Corey Conners, Martin Trainer, Kevin Tway
10:43 a.m.
Nick Taylor, Dylan Frittelli, Wesley Bryan
10:54 a.m.
Russell Henley, Rory Sabbatini, Brandon Hagy
11:05 a.m.
Ryan Moore, Peter Malnati, Kramer Hickok
1:40 p.m.
Adam Hadwin, Danny Lee, Patrick Rodgers
1:51 p.m.
Beau Hossler, Sepp Straka, Doug Ghim
2:02 p.m.
Aaron Wise, Matt Fitzpatrick, Matt Wallace
2:13 p.m.
Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas
2:24 p.m.
Jon Rahm, Webb Simpson, Rickie Fowler
2:35 p.m.
Luke List, Adam Scott, Harold Varner III
2:46 p.m.
Tony Finau, Branden Grace, Michael Thompson
2:57 p.m.
Harris English, Si Woo Kim, Bubb Watson
3:08 p.m.
Stewart Cink, Brian Gay, Scottie Scheffler
3:19 p.m.
Andrew Putnam, Scott Stallings, Sam Ryder
3:30 p.m.
Joseph Bramlett, Ben Silverman, Preston Summerhays
Hole 10
9:15 a.m.
Brendan Steele, Henrick Norlander, Matthew NeSmith
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New media-rights deals kick off in January and a few tournaments have new dates.
The calendar has flipped and we leave 2021 in the rearview mirror. Bring on 2022.
So what’s new and different in the new year for the PGA Tour?
There’s a new TV and streaming deal in place, so keep that smart TV remote handy. There’s a few tournaments with new dates on the calendar—but the Waste Management Phoenix Open will still ride shotgun with the Super Bowl. And the two major men’s tours are co-sanctioning an event for the first time.
There’s still some familiarity with the schedule. The Players will be in March, the Masters is a fixture in early April, the PGA Championship returns to May for the third time in the last four years, the U.S. Open has its traditional spot in June and all eyes will be on the Old Course for the Open Championship in July.
But there’s plenty of other changes to note, so check them out here.
The concert will take place on a stage built in the middle of the 16th hole fairway.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Waste Management Phoenix Open has added a Concert at the Coliseum to its live music programming for 2022.
Thomas Rhett and Old Dominion will take the stage at the iconic 16th hole for the inaugural Concert at the Coliseum on Saturday, Feb. 5, providing fans with an earlier start date for the festivities.
The Phoenix Open week runs Monday, Feb. 7, through Sunday, Feb. 13.
General admission tickets for the Concert at the Coliseum are $150 and go on sale at 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 1, at WMPhoenixOpen.com.
A limited number of suites with all-inclusive food and beverage are also available. The Concert at the Coliseum is a 21-and-older event.
Doors open at 3 p.m. Old Dominion will kick things off at 5 p.m., with Thomas Rhett taking the stage at approximately 6:30 p.m.
The concert will take place on a stage built in the middle of the 16th hole fairway strictly for this show.
In a news release, tournament chairman Dr. Michael Golding said, “We’ve all seen the energy fans bring to cheer on the PGA Tour players at the 16th hole. We can’t wait to see and feel that buzz at night for Thomas Rhett and Old Dominion.”
Birds Nest concerts for 2022
Live music will, of course, continue at the festival’s popular Coors Light Birds Nest.
The Birds Nest will bring Sam Hunt, Macklemore and Kygo to the big tent when the popular concert series returns on the weekend of Feb. 9-12, 2022, for the golf tournament. Tickets are on sale at coorslightbirdsnest.com.
The Wednesday headline act and remaining Birds Nest lineup will be announced as more artists are confirmed.
Thomas Rhett performs “What’s Your Country Song” at the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry Saturday, on April 17, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo by George Walker IV/The Tennessean
In a release, Golding said, “We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome music fans back to the Coors Light Birds Nest and to kick things off with an incredible lineup of musicians.”
Headlining the Thursday, Feb. 10, show is American country music star Sam Hunt with special guest, multi-platinum recording artist Russell Dickerson.
More about Sam Hunt, Macklemore, Kygo
A former college football quarterback, Hunt has topped the country airplay charts eight times since breaking through with “Leave the Light On” in 2014, including the multi-platinum smashes “Take Your Time,” “House Party,” “Make You Miss Me” and “Body Like a Back Road.”
Four-time Grammy winner Macklemore will headline Friday, Feb. 11. Macklemore earned his four Grammy’s in 2014: Best New Artist, Best Rap Album (“The Heist”), and Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for hit single “Thrift Shop,” one of his two No. 1 singles that year.
He also earned two American Music Awards in 2013 for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album as well Billboard Music Awards in 2013 and 2014 for Rap Song of the Year (“Thrift Shop”) and Top Rap Song (“Can’t Hold Us”).
Rounding out the lineup is Norwegian-born producer/DJ Kygo, along with special guests Sam Feldt and Forester on Saturday, Feb. 12.
Kygo has built a career on popular remixes, sellout shows in North America and Europe and headline performances at Coachella and Ultra Music Festival with 15 billion global streams. The multiplatinum “It Ain’t Me” (feat. Selena Gomez) cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 with more than 2.5 billion streams worldwide.
This is Kygo’s second Birds Nest appearance, following his successful debut in 2020.
Changes are coming
The Birds Nest will see some changes this year to the outdoor patio area.
The live performances will still take place inside the 48,000-square-foot-tent, but the area outside the tent will offer an enhanced fan experience with more of a festival atmosphere.
In a news release, chairman Eric Brandt said, “We wanted to take a look at how we could improve the overall fan experience, especially before the headliners take the stage.”
Brandt said ticket holders “can expect a much more fan-friendly atmosphere where they can meet friends for drinks after golf, come early to have a bite to eat at food trucks, play outdoor party games and enjoy the various outdoor bars and seating areas.”
Birds Nest general admission tickets start at $75. VIP tickets are available starting at $285, which includes exclusive access to an enhanced VIP area where guests are treated to complimentary food and drinks and access to a premium viewing area for the shows.
Organizers encourage fans to buy their tickets early as ticket prices will increase as the event draws closer.
The Birds Nest is located directly across from the main Phoenix Open tournament entrance. The entertainment venue opens at 3:30 p.m. and closes at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Headline acts will take the main stage each evening at approximately 8:30 p.m. The Birds Nest is a 21-and-over venue.
A player wins a tournament. Hoists a large trophy. And sometimes dons a winner’s jacket or sweater. These come in all colors and patterns.
They are several Sunday traditions on the PGA Tour.
A player wins a tournament. He celebrates with his family and friends. Hoists a large trophy. Poses with an oversized check. Smiles for the cameras. Does a bunch of post-round interviews.
And sometimes dons a winner’s jacket or sweater. These come in all colors and patterns.
A Masters green jacket is the most famous victory attire — and no doubt the most desired — but there are several others on Tour that are certainly eye-catching.
With multiple runner-up finishes at recent tournaments, Xander Schauffele is focusing on the positives ahead of the Genesis Invitational.
Xander Schauffele isn’t about to go bang his head against a wall, pull his hair from his skull or snap his golf clubs over his knee when disappointment on the golf course mounts.
Sure, there have been many opportunities of late but he’s just not the type to go all violent on himself or his equipment. Even when Sunday contention turns into Sunday night frustration, he doesn’t lose his mind. As he said after coming up one shot shy of winner Brooks Koepka in the Waste Management Phoenix Open two weeks ago, he’d “lick my wounds and come back.”
Some liquid elixir doesn’t hurt.
“A couple glasses of wine that night and a good night of sleep was all I needed,” Schauffele said. “You just take the positives from the week, identify sort of the mistakes that were made and move along.”
Schauffele, 27, has more runner-up finishes than any player on the PGA Tour since the start of the 2017-18 season – 10, including in his last two starts. Though he did shoot the lowest 72-hole score at last year’s Tour Championship but finished second to FedEx Cup winner Dustin Johnson because of the staggered scoring system used for the season finale, his last official title came in the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions. He has five top-5s in seven starts this season, with the other two finishes being ties for 17th.
“A lot of good and no wins so far,” is how he described his season. “Overall I’m pretty happy with how I’m playing. Coming down the stretch, just really believe in what you’ve got and at the end of the day that’s kind of all it is. You could be playing incredible golf and if you kind of doubt yourself for a second, it’s going to catch you at the wrong time and I think that’s kind of what it’s been for me.”
He knows there’s been far more good than bad, so while he was stung by the outcome in Phoenix, he learned from it. And he has won four PGA Tour titles, including the Tour Championship, a WGC and the Sentry Tournament of Champions. And he’s No. 4 in the world.
“Some hurt more than others. (Phoenix) didn’t really hurt,” he said. “It wasn’t that I (wasted) too many shots away. I hit a few bad ones coming down the stretch, but for the most part I kind of was hanging tight. And it was a very boring day in a bad way. It was a good learning experience for me in a final group where sort of the whole group is a little stagnant. Our group collectively shot even-par.
“And I looked at Brooks’ group, you had James Hahn who was 7 under through 10 holes, Brooks shot 6 under and you’ve got (Steve Stricker) there who’s steady as ever shooting 4- or 5-under. So you compare the two groups around and you kind of sit there like, well, what group would I rather play in, you know what I mean?
“I could be playing kind of C‑plus golf in a group where guys are making birdies left and right and they’re going to sort of drag me along the way versus if you’re playing great golf and no one in the group’s getting anything going, that could be the difference. It was a really good learning experience for me moving forward.”
This week, that move has taken him north of Los Angeles to Pacific Palisades and historic Riviera Country Club. In three starts, he’s never been worse than a tie for 23rd. And the patience he has shown in dealing with his string of near misses will be directed at dealing with Riv.
“It’s just tough,” Schauffele said. “I think if you could name a harder course without any water hazards for the most part, I’d wait and sit here. This course is, for the setup and just having no real OB or hazards kind of anywhere on the property, it plays really difficult, so I think all of us appreciate the challenge.
“The course is so interesting. It’s one of those places where the more you play it, the more comfortable you get. The conditions this year are unbelievable. It’s going to be playing very different than the last couple years where it was kind of colder and sort of wet. Because there isn’t a whole lot of trouble on the property in terms of like penalties, you sort of get a little impatient and get aggressive when you shouldn’t and you kind of pick up a bogey or double bogey pretty quickly and it’s probably the most frustrating way to do it.
Jordan Spieth struggled to a 1-over 72 Sunday at the Phoenix Open, but enjoyed a victory of sorts by showing there’s life yet in his game.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – One day after Jordan Spieth shot a bogey-free 61 to validate the hard work to resurrect his game, he showed there is still work to be done in order to return to the winner’s circle.
Spieth shot 1-over 72 at TPC Scottsdale to finish in a share of fourth place, his first top-10 finish in nearly a year and his best result since finishing T-3 at the 2019 PGA Championship. Spieth expressed disappointment at shooting over par, but was pleased with the progress he’s made in shedding bad habits that infected his once-dependable swing.
“It is far from where I want it to be as far as how it feels, but, boy, I was debating not even playing this week, dropping out on Friday afternoon last week.”
When asked why he almost skipped playing in Phoenix, he said, “I felt like I was really far from where I needed to be and this golf course in general isn’t a great golf course for me historically, so I thought I could then go in to Pebble a little fresher. Boy, I’m glad I came.”
Spieth opened with a pair of 67s and then blitzed TPC Scottsdale on Saturday to the tune of 10-under 61. He did it despite still struggling off the tee. He hit just 23 of 56 fairways, which ranked dead last of the 66 players that made the 36-hole cut. (Last season, he ranked 165th in SG: off-the-tee and entered the week No. 219 so far this campaign.)
On Sunday, Spieth missed the first fairway to the right with an iron. That proved to be an ominous sign of things to come. He made bogey at the first hole and took three putts from 59 feet at the par-3 7th hole. One day after canning a slew of long-range birdie putts, Spieth’s putter let him down.
Jordan Spieth finds the water on 15 and 17. He's +2 today after shooting 10-under yesterday.
“I needed to one-putt the last two to not have more than 36 putts today,” said Spieth, who made just 43 feet of putts on Sunday and lost nearly two strokes to the field with the flat stick. “Felt like I hit good putts, and as much as the lid was open other days, it was closed today.”
Spieth fanned his tee shot at No. 11 into the desert and was forced to chip out and made bogey. He didn’t make a birdie until the 13th hole. Yet he still had a chance until he tugged tee shots into the water at Nos. 15 and 17. His closing birdie was too little, too late.
Spieth played in the final group on Sunday for the first time since the 2018 British Open. On that day at Carnoustie, Spieth was paired with Xander Schauffele and they both spit the bit. On Sunday beneath a cloudless blue sky, it was déjà vu.
“We had an opportunity to get out and make it a two-man race on the front nine and we brought everybody back in. So that part is really frustrating,” Spieth said.
Spieth lead the field in Strokes Gained: approach, and he accentuated the positives from a tournament where he shot three rounds in the 60s, including a bogey-free 61, with a career-best 10 birdies.
“I was comfortable in the position I was in, and that’s a very new position for me, because it’s been a little while,” said Spieth. “You got to relearn what tendencies you have and then just keep on getting there, keep on getting in position. Then they go your way sometimes.”
Spieth’s journey back to relevance took a big step forward, but he still needs to find a dependable ball flight off the tee and avoid a two-way miss. He played a draw this week, but still missed too many fairways by a wide margin. Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee had plenty to say about Spieth’s game, but he also paid the following compliment, comparing Spieth to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“Jordan’s better when he’s out of the pocket, or out of play. It’s like his weakness allows him to show his greatness. With Patrick Mahomes, most quarterbacks are trying to limit their losses but he’s looking down field and trying to make a big play. That’s Jordan Spieth in a nutshell,” Chamblee said. “That was No. 10 (on Saturday). He hit it off the golf course. Shotlink couldn’t find it. He missed the green but got it back in play. And then he chips it in. Who chips that in? Who makes birdie from that position? Who makes those putts at 16 and 17 back to back? Who does that? Tiger Woods is the only person I’ve seen who does that.”
It was five years ago that Tiger struggled with the chipping yips here and he found his game to win another Masters in 2019. Can Spieth build on this week to achieve something as memorable as his first act?
“I’m only looking forward. Only looking at this from a positive angle right now. I really am,” he said. “I believe in what I’m doing. A result like this just helps confirm what I was already feeling, and that just moves the needle the right direction.”
