Expert Picks: Waste Management Phoenix Open

The hot, humid days of May have shifted to the relatively cool, damp days of March in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, as the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass hosts the top 50 players in both the FedExCup standings and the OWGR for the 46th edition. Pete Dye’s masterpiece (Par 72, 7,189) has stood the test of time and was originally designed for play in March. With multiple different doglegs, visual tricks and no two consecutive holes playing the same direction, multiple decisions and multiple shot shapes will be on display. The major differences will be not navigating Bermuda rough and greens that are not crispy from the lack of heat this time of year. Manageable rough and softer conditions this week might make March more palatable, but the winner ($2.25 million; 600 FedExCup points) of the $12.5 million purse will need every club in their bag plus the six inches between their ears to lift the new trophy. Need more Course Info? Check Rob Bolton’s Power Rankings, The First Look and Course Preview. Recent Winners Webb Simpson (2018). Justin Thomas remarked that we would never see TPC Sawgrass play as easy as it did on Sunday (70.014) of last year. Simpson destroyed too many records to list as he led the field in fairways, Strokes-Gained: Putting and Par-4 and Par-5 scoring while winning comfortably (73 on Sunday) by four shots. Notables: Brooks Koepka closed with 63, the lowest final round in history to cash T11; Xander Schauffele continued his role a quick study as he cashed T2 in his first appearance; Simpson was last in driving distance and went co-wire-to-wire as he shared only the first round lead. Si Woo Kim (2017): The youngest winner ever at 21, the South Korean debuted in 2016 (T23) and spent his weekend scrambling for pars (T1) and avoiding bogeys (T1). He posted 10-under, including 69 in Round 4, to win by three in hot, blustery conditions.  There were just seven rounds in the 60’s on Sunday. Notables:  54-hole leaders J.B. Holmes (84) and Kyle Stanley (75) never factored; Kim was bogey-free in the final round as he beat Louis Oosthuizen (T2) heads-up by three; Like Kim, Rafa Cabrera Bello made his second start and cashed T4. Jason Day (2016): Picked up his second win of the season in wire-to-wire fashion (API) to go along with his WGC-Dell Match Play victory. Gamers will remember his victory at Match Play as he injured his back and couldn’t pick the ball out of the hole. Day opened with 63 and never looked back as he won by four. Notables: Thomas fired 65 in the final round (T3) in his second start; Colt Knost posted 63 in Round 2 and shared T3 with Thomas and Ken Duke proving this course can be played by short, straight hitters. Day led the field in scrambling, bogey avoidance and Par-4 scoring while finishing T51 in fairways hit. Key stat leaders Golfers inside the top 25-ish in each statistic on the 2018-19 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week. This is the 20th event of the season. * – Finished inside the top 10 since 2010 Strokes-Gained: Tee to Green  1  *Rory McIlroy  2  *Justin Thomas  3  *Hideki Matsuyama (20 under par in four starts before MC last year)  4  Byeong-Hun An  5  Dustin Johnson  6  Gary Woodland (best T11, 2014)  7  Patrick Cantlay  8  Jason Kokrak (6 trips, 1 weekend)  9  *Tommy Fleetwood (T7 ’18, T41 ’17) 10 Matthew Fitzpatrick 11 Luke List 12 *Paul Casey (first time, 2004, none in 10 other trips) 13 *Xander Schauffele 15 Keith Mitchell (coming in HOT) 16 Lucas Glover (T6 ’17, 3 2010) 18 Sungjae Im (maiden; rookie) 19 Corey Conners (maiden) 20 Talor Gooch (maiden) 21 Jon Rahm (T63, T72) 22 *Webb Simpson 22 *Ian Poulter (T2, 2017) 24 *Matt Kuchar (2012 winner) 25 Bubba Watson (T37 best in 11 trips) Strokes-Gained: Putting  1  Dominic Bozzelli  2  Brian Gay  4  Andrew Putnam  6  *Rafa Cabrera Bello (T4 ’18, T17 ’17)  7  Scott Langley  8  *Rickie Fowler  9  Dustin Johnson 10 Patton Kizzire 11 *Jason Day 12 *Brandt Snedeker 13 *Xander Schauffele 14 Patrick Reed 16 Wyndham Clark (maiden) 17 Charles Howell III (16 events, T17 ’18 is his best) 18 *Adam Scott 19 *Francesco Molinari 20 Billy Horschel 21 Cameron Smith (MC, MC) 22 Denny McCarthy (maiden) 23 Vaughn Taylor 24 *Si Woo Kim 26 Kiradech Aphibarnrat Bogey Avoidance  1  *Lucas Glover  2  Charles Howell III  3  Dustin Johnson  4  Patrick Cantlay  5  *Matt Kuchar (2012 winner)  6  *Webb Simpson  7  *Xander Schauffele  7  Kevin Tway  9  *Jim Furyk 10 *Aaron Baddeley 13 *Marc Leishman (one top 10 in 9 starts) 15 *Harold Varner III 16 *Kevin Kisner (P2 on debut in ’15 is only top 50 result) 17 Talor Gooch 18 *Justin Rose 20 Troy Merritt 21 *Justin Thomas 21 Andrew Putnam 23 Abraham Ancer (maiden) 24 *Rory McIlroy 25 *Jhonattan Vegas Levels of Confidence Premium Veterans Tiger Woods is the only player to win in March (2001) and May (2013) and has only missed once in 18 tries. He’s also the only multiple winner in the field. Rested and raring to go, he’ll look to improve his T11 from last year, his first start since 2015. Another veteran who has played both sides is Sergio Garcia. The 2008 champ was second in 2007, T4 in 2002 and has cashed in 17 of 19 appearances. He’s quietly racked up T9 and T6 in his last two on TOUR. At age 23 in 2004 Adam Scott became the youngest winner after Fred Funk became the oldest winner in 48 the year before. He backed up his win with T8 and added T6 in the first May edition. Since 2012 he’s played the event under-par and has finished outside T19 exactly once. Last week’s winner Francesco Molinari will look to join Woods (2001) as the only players this century to win THE PLAYERS the week after winning on TOUR. Woods also used the Arnold Palmer Invitation as his springboard that season and interestingly enough, Day won his trophy after claiming the API earlier in the year in 2016. Form Over Function    The foot of Rory McIlroy has to be sore from trying to kick open the door to victory this year as his streak of top-10 finishes is now at five. His run of T8, T6, T8 and T12 from 2013-16 cooled with T35 in ’17 and MC last year. It’s shocking that Dustin Johnson has never hit the top 10 here in 10 trips. It’s also not shocking he’s won twice worldwide in 2019 including his last time out at WGC-Mexico Championships. His two best paydays are the last two years (T17 ’18, T12 ’17). With three top-25 cashes, including T3 and T11, I’ll suggest Justin Thomas is comfortable around these parts. I’m trying to think where he’s not comfortable … The last time Brooks Koepka was at TPC Sawgrass he set the Sunday scoring record (63) that included an albatross. His check for T11 was his third-consecutive pay INCREASE at THE PLAYERS. Caution The last time we saw Jason Day he WD after six holes on Thursday at Bay Hill. He claims his injury has been blown out of proportion. His three top-10 paydays in the last eight years will gather eyeballs again this week. Justin Rose has only one top-10 payday from 15 tries but he’s also won this season at a difficult Torrey Pines. After finishing T2 in 2012 and winning in 2015, Rickie Fowler looked like an annual “save” for this event. Since his win he’s left early twice and cashed T60. With only two cuts made in five trips I’m not sure if I’m running Jordan Spieth to the front of the line this week. I don’t believe this is the track or event to get healthy or bust a slump. The mystery that is Phil Mickelson continues to taunt gamers as he’s done nothing since his win at Pebble Beach. He’s MC in six of his last seven here with the best result being T41.

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TPC Sugarloaf, along with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF), hosted the sixth annual “Mason’s Twenty-Fore Straight” 24-hour golf marathon this past June, raising an unparalleled $205,000 in 2021, shattering the previous record of $137,000. With nearly $750,000 in total raised since the inaugural event, proceeds benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Sydney’s Incredible Defeat of Ewing’s Sarcoma (SIDES), raising awareness and funds in the fight against pediatric cancer. In honor of Mason Glassgold, who just days before his 11th birthday lost a courageous, three-year fight against a cancerous brain tumor, “Mason’s Twenty-Fore Straight” marathon was created by family friend, TPC Sugarloaf’s General Manager, Mike Maloney, along with Mason’s stepfather Matt Wilson – to honor him and support the many other brave children battling the disease. “This 24-hour golf marathon has had participants travel from near and far to help us in this fight,” said Maloney. “Obviously, this much golf can be grueling, , but it is the least we can do to honor these little warriors who deal with so much pain and show so much courage each day in their battle against this terrible disease.” The event aligns deeply with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s robust “care, cure, thrive” commitment, helping families of kids with brain cancer navigate the disease’s challenging course, while funding science to treat pediatric brain tumors. During the marathon, two players on each team must remain on the course for the entire 24-hours – playing through back pain, headaches and tired feet, experiencing just a small amount of pain and exhaustion a child going through treatment for cancer can feel. “The partnership with TPC Sugarloaf for the Mason’s Twenty-Fore Straight event goes beyond just raising money,” says The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, President and CEO, Courtney Davies. “It encompasses the full mission of the PBTF, as they care for children with brain tumors attending the event and provide unique opportunities for survivors on the golf course. Their passion to make an impact in this disease space is inspiring, and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation is grateful to be a part of this event.” To learn more about the event, visit Mason’s Twenty-Fore Straight. For more information on TPC Sugarloaf, please visit www.tpc.com/sugarloaf.

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The World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play is back. Wednesday's opening round is the first of three days of pool play. After Friday, the player with the best record in each of the 16 four-man pools will advance to knockout play. Two rounds apiece will be played Saturday and Sunday to crown a champion. Tee times were moved up two hours in anticipation of inclement weather, which could another layer to one of the year's most intriguing weeks. This is the only event where players go mano-a-mano, and Austin Country Club is a perfect site for this format thanks to its offering of risk-reward holes. Can reigning FedExCup champion Dustin Johnson win again in Austin? Can Justin Thomas go back-to-back after his PLAYERS victory? Will Collin Morikawa win a second straight World Golf Championship? Those are among the storylines we'll be tracking this week. There will be 32 matches in each of the next three days, and this file will be updated live at the conclusion of each match to keep you apprised of the action from the TOUR's only match-play event. Return here often to learn about the latest upsets, comebacks and nail-biting finishes. Until matches conclude, here's a sampling of some of the showdowns we're especially excited to see today: – Rory McIlroy vs. Ian Poulter: What a way to start the day, with a showdown of these two past champions. McIlroy reportedly has a new swing coach, while Poulter can never be counted out in match play. McIlroy, his former Ryder Cup teammate, knows that first-hand. – Patrick Reed vs. Bubba Watson: Watson is a past winner at Austin Country Club, while Reed has made it to the Round of 16 twice in Austin. Between Bubba's big, bending tee shots and Reed's stellar short game, this is a match for those who like to watch an old-school brand of golf. – Matt Fitzpatrick vs. Jordan Spieth: These guys are the exception in today's power game but they're both in good form. Fitzpatrick has finished no worse than 11th in his last four starts, while Spieth has three top-5s in his last five starts. – Justin Thomas vs. Matt Kuchar: Thomas arrives on the heels of his PLAYERS win but Kuchar can't be counted out in match play. He won the U.S. Amateur in 1997 and claimed this event in 2013. No one has made it to the Round of 16 in Austin more often than Kuchar. He's one of two players to advance out of pool play three times in the four tournaments at Austin CC (Louis Oosthuizen is the other). Kuchar was runner-up the last time this event was played, in 2019. – Lee Westwood vs. Sergio Garcia: This match features two resurgent 40-somethings who have been stalwarts on Europe's Ryder Cup teams. Westwood recently had consecutive runners-up at THE PLAYERS and Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, while Garcia's win at the Sanderson Farms Championship was his first in 3 ½ years and he recently finished ninth at THE PLAYERS.

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