The Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale is a scoring fest. Last year’s winner shot 24 under par and separated by seven shots, which tells you exactly what this place rewards.
You’re looking for players who can pile up birdies, handle wedge-heavy approach shots and stay aggressive without leaking mistakes on par 5s. This course favors strong iron play, comfort on fast greens and players who aren’t afraid to press when scoring conditions are soft.
As always, I focus on players who have the profile to contend outright, but wager conservatively preferring the top 20/30 markets where the scoring fit is there and the price still stays.
Here are the players to consider for WMPO for betting and fantasy.
Best bets
Maverick McNealy: Top 20 (+125)
Full odds:
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Top 30 -135
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Top 10 +265
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Top 5 +1550
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To win +3400
I’m trusting the profile and not just finishes. McNealy does most of his damage tee-to-green (13th), especially with his irons (18th). Give yourself enough looks inside 20 feet over and over again and you’ve got a shot to contend. McNealy does that. Recent results back it up, posting strong finishes on courses that translate to Scottsdale, like Summerlin and Twin Cities, both second shot tracks where iron play and GIR dictates rounds. The putter is streaky but that’s fine for a top 20. When the ball striking stays intact, plus-money is solid for a reliable profile with real scoring upside.
Pierceson Coody: Top 30 (+110)
Full odds:
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Top 20 +175
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Top 10 +385
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Top 5 +830
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To win +5500
Keep the ball in play, hit a ton of greens, and avoid big numbers. Coody checks those boxes. He’s quietly strong from tee to green (7th), and excels with greens in regulation and bogey avoidance. That combo can help a player stay clean while everyone else presses. Recent top 20s at The American Express and Farmers Insurance Open shows that Coody can handle tougher ball striking tests, both of which translate well to Scottsdale. He’s also flashed upside in desert style events where iron play and scrambling matters more than putting spikes. The putter is average, which is why I’m not buying the top 20 but for a top 30, Coody has the consistency making him a reasonable buy.
Si Woo Kim: Top 20 (-105)
Full odds:
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Top 10 +215
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Top 5 +450
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To win +2700
Kim has the profile of a player I like when the ball striking is doing the heavy lifting and I’m not asking for a miracle putter week. His recent form of five straight top-20 finishes is consistent because the stats line up — second in the field from tee-to-green, fourth on approach, strong off the tee and solid bogey avoidance.
Scottsdale is a birdie track but the big numbers can sneak in if you get sloppy. Kim’s ball striking can avoid that sloppiness. Course history is steady, finishing top 25 here multiple times, including T12 in 2024. The putter is always the worry, but a top-20 price is betting that Kim’s irons will give him enough chances to cash.
Players to consider for Daily Fantasy
Play daily fantasy golf at DraftKings.
Haotong Li, $7,500: Ball-striking upside without paying for name value. His irons have been excellent lately, which can give any player birdie shots in bunches. His price is fair for someone who can spike a round or two and pile up birdies, making him a salary-saving option.
Jacob Bridgeman, $7,100: He fits the floor-first profile, not volatility. He’s steady from tee-to-green, keeps the ball in play, and avoids blowups, which has helped produce back-to-back top-15 finishes. Bridgeman’s iron play has been solid enough to give him chances, gaining strokes in his last two rounds, and his scrambling keeps rounds from unraveling. You’re picking him to make the cut, log four rounds and accumulate points without nuking your lineup.
DFS player to fade
Xander Schauffele, $10,500: He has the second-highest salary but the recent profile doesn’t justify paying up, having minimal competitive reps and very little recent rhythm. The ball-striking isn’t coming in sharp, he lost strokes off the tee at Torrey, was neutral at best on approach and there’s no separation in his scoring metrics to offset the salary gap. You would be paying for name equity, not form. In a week where balanced builds and mid-range scorers can lap the field, Schauffele’s path to paying off this tag is narrow. I’d rather reallocate that salary to players with stronger approach trends and better value-per-dollar upside.
