One of the Craziest Weeks in Golf: Phoenix Open Preview
The 90th Phoenix Open is set to tee off on Thursday in Scottsdale, Arizona. This tournament has quickly become one of the marquee events of the PGA Tour schedule every year due to its party-like atmosphere, where rambunctious cheering is encouraged, the great Arizona weather, and, of course, the famous 16th hole. This year, 132 of the PGA’s best players will compete for the $1.65 million first-place prize. Nick Taylor will look to defend his title from last year’s weather-plagued tournament, but that will not be an easy feat given the loaded field, which obviously includes world number one Scottie Scheffler, who won this event twice in a row in 2022 and 2023. With that said, here is all you need to know to get you ready for the 2025 Phoenix Open.
The Field
Scottie Scheffler enters the tournament as the heavy favorite, as usual, but as previously mentioned, this field has no shortage of premier players. Behind Scheffler in the odds to win are Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Sam Burns, Tom Kim, and more. Defending champion Nick Taylor and former major winners Wyndham Clark, Jordan Speith, and Matt Fitzpatrick are some of the notable underdogs in the field. Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland, and Hideki Matsuyama are the three other players in the field, other than Scheffler and Taylor, who have won this event in prior years, so look for their experience to potentially play a factor down the stretch if any of them find themselves in contention on Sunday. The most notable name not playing this weekend is last week’s winner at Pebble Beach, Rory McIlroy.
The Course
Phoenix just recently got its first rainfall since August, marking the longest dry streak in history. This means the players can expect the course to be much firmer and faster than usual, especially around the greens. This will undoubtedly make the course play more challenging than it has in years past. In recent memory, in order to expect to be in contention to win this tournament, the player would have to be around 15 under par. The tougher green conditions that are expected this week could bring that winning score down a few shots compared to what has been seen in the past few years. The main attraction of this course is obviously the 16th hole, which is a 162-yard par three surrounded by a 20,000-seat grandstand with the most caucus fans on the PGA Tour. This is by far the most attended hole on Tour, and if you are able to stick one close or even ace one, you give the fans a reason to go crazy.
Overall, this tournament is one of the most fun weekends on the PGA Tour for both the players and the fans. Between the best players in the world competing and the unique atmosphere with one of the most famous holes in golf, this tournament always shapes up to be one to remember. This year should be no different. The biggest key to victory this weekend will undoubtedly be the ability to work well around the greens, both chipping and putting, given the firmer conditions this week. Coverage of the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday can be found on the GOLF Channel, and the weekend rounds can be viewed on CBS.
