Leaderboard: Round 1 of WM Phoenix Open

What are the biggest questions heading into the PGA? From Tiger’s long break to Brooks Koepka’s motivation, we go through the list.

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Brendan Steele (+450 for a Top 20) … Although he currently lives in Irvine, California, he’s always been a focus of elevated expectations in La Quinta because this has been a home game. He’s from Idyllwild, which isn’t far, and he hasn’t missed an edition since debuting as a rookie in 2011. He’s cashed in each of the last seven editions, four of which for a top 25. Currently 25th in this season’s FedExCup on the strength of a co-runner-up at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, but he’s totaled five cuts made with 17 red numbers. Vince Whaley (+400 for a Top 20) … The 26-year-old is enjoying a natural progression on his career trajectory. After a substandard rookie season of 2019-20, he sharpened his game to record five top 25s among 17 paydays in the bonus season of membership triggered by the pandemic. However, he still needed the Korn Ferry Tour Finals in 2021 to regain fully exempt status on which he is capitalizing. He arrived at PGA WEST having connected six cuts made, three going for a top 20, including a T17 at Waialae last week where he co-led the field in par-5 scoring and didn’t miss on 58 looks inside eight feet, 19 of which were longer than three feet. Rory Sabbatini (+500 for a Top 20) … How can a guy ranked 17th in Strokes Gained: Total be just 1-for-5 on the season with 10 completed rounds contributing? Well, his lone payday was a T3 at the Shriners and he didn’t register an official score at the RSM because he was disqualified after the first round. In his other three starts, he completed six rounds in 10-under and missed those cuts by an aggregate four strokes. PGA WEST is a logical site for the pendulum to swing back into his favor and where anything can happen given that the champion likely will go lower than 20-under for the week. Since returning in earnest in 2011, he hasn’t missed an edition and he’s perfect since 2017 with a T12 a year ago. Sebastián Muñoz (+275 for a Top 20) … On firepower alone, it stands to reason that he’ll threaten this prop. He concluded the fall with a pair of top fives in three starts and totaled four in his last six months of competition, and that doesn’t include the T4 at the Olympics. In his last appearance at PGA WEST in 2020, he sat T20 at the 54-hole conclusion of the course rotation and landed at T21. Also led the field in scrambling. J.T. Poston (+700 for a Top 20) … You’d have had a tough time finding a touring professional who couldn’t wait for 2021 to end faster. He crawled into the holiday hiatus having missed eight consecutive cuts. Now, reset and recharged, the 28-year-old opened 2022 with a 6-under 64 at Waialae. It was his lowest score in relation to par since a 7-under 65 in the first round of the Barbasol Championship where he lost in a playoff last July, and his lowest aggregate since an 8-under 64 at the Sanderson Farms Championship in September of 2019. Naturally, because of Monday’s holiday, the direct deposit was delayed a day, and it was for but a T42, but it still has to feel good after the drought. This is his sixth consecutive trip to PGA WEST. On three occasions, he connected four red numbers, the best set yielding a T7 in 2019. Odds were sourced on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. For live odds, visit betmgm.

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2017-18 Qualifiers – Majors, World Golf Championships and THE PLAYERS Golfers are omitted if they haven’t recently competed in majors for which they are eligible (e.g. PGA — Steve Elkington). 1 = Masters 2 = U.S. Open 3 = Open Championship 4 = PGA Championship MC = WGC-Mexico Championship MP = WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play TPC = THE PLAYERS Championship BI = WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Recent Additions 1 – Austin Cook 2 – none 3 – Kiradech Aphibarnrat; Paul Dunne; Ross Fisher; Matthew Fitzpatrick; Tommy Fleetwood; Dylan Frittelli; Tyrrell Hatton; Scott Jamieson; Alexander Levy; Shane Lowry; Francesco Molinari; Thorbjørn Olesen; Brady Schnell; Jordan L. Smith; Hideto Tanihara; Peter Uihlein; Lee Westwood; Bernd Wiesberger; Fabrizio Zanotti 4 – Austin Cook MC – Kiradech Aphibarnrat; Rafa Cabrera Bello; Paul Dunne; Ross Fisher; Matthew Fitzpatrick; Tommy Fleetwood; Dylan Frittelli; Branden Grace; Tyrrell Hatton; Hao Tong Li; Rory McIlroy; Francesco Molinari; Alex Noren; Thomas Pieters; Henrik Stenson; Peter Uihlein; Bernd Wiesberger TPC – Austin Cook BI – Austin Cook; Jon Rahm REMAINING QUALIFYING CRITERIA Criteria are listed in chronological order where possible. Best estimates are given but all are subject to change. MASTERS (1) @ Augusta National Golf Club – April 5-8 • Winners of PGA TOUR events that award full FedExCup points allocation for THE TOUR Championship through the week before the Masters. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on Dec. 31. • Winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Jan. 23). • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on March 26. • Special invitees to international players per Masters Tournament Committee. U.S. OPEN (2) @ Shinnecock Hills Golf Club – June 14-17 • Winner of Masters (April 8). • Winner of THE PLAYERS (May 13). • Top 60 from Official World Golf Ranking on May 21. • Winner of the BMW PGA Championship (May 27). • Open qualifying (late May-early June). • Top 60 from Official World Golf Ranking on June 4. • Special exemptions per USGA Executive Committee. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP (3) @ Carnoustie Golf Links – July 19-22 • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Australian Open (Nov. 26). • Money leader on the 2017 Australasian Tour (Dec. 3). • Top 2 on Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit (Dec. 3). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Joburg Open (Dec. 10). • Money leader on the 2017 Asian Tour (Dec. 17). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 from the Singapore Open (Jan. 21). • Winner of the Masters (April 8). • Winner of THE PLAYERS (May 13). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 and ties at the Mizuno Open (May 27). • Winner of BMW PGA Championship (May 27). • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on May 28. • Top 2, not otherwise exempt, from Order of Merit on Japan Golf Tour ending with Japan Golf Tour Championship (TBD). • Winner of U.S. Open (June 17). • Winner of British Amateur, if still an amateur (June 23). • Top 2, not otherwise exempt, inside the top eight at the Korea Open (June 24). • Winner of the International European Amateur Championship (June 30). • Top 5 and ties, not otherwise exempt, inside Top 20 in FedExCup points thru a PGA TOUR event to be determined in 2018 (TBD). • Top 5 and ties, not otherwise exempt, inside Top 20 in Race to Dubai thru a European Tour event to be determined in 2018 (TBD). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Open de France (July 1). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 at The National (July 1). • Local Final Qualifying. Top 3 at each of four sites: Notts, Prince’s, The Renaissance Club, St. Annes Old Links (July 3). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Irish Open (July 8). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 at The Greenbrier Classic (July 8). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Scottish Open (July 15). • Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, inside the top five at the John Deere Classic (July 15). PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (4) @ Bellerive Country Club – August 9-12 • Winners of PGA TOUR events thru the final week before the 2018 PGA Championship. • Winner of Senior PGA Championship (May 27). • Top 20 from PGA Professional National Championship (June 20). • Top 70 from special money list on PGA TOUR from 2017 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and Barracuda Championship through 2018 RBC Canadian Open (July 29). • *All 2016 Ryder Cup members, provided they are inside top 100 of Official World Golf Ranking (July 29). • Special exemptions per PGA of America. (This will likely include all golfers inside Top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking on July 29.) • If necessary to compete the field of 156, golfers outside Top 70 from special money list (three lines above) will gain entry in order of position. WGC-MEXICO CHAMPIONSHIP (MC) @ Club de Golf Chapultepec – March 1-4 • Top 2 on Australasian Tour Order of Merit, not otherwise exempt (Dec. 3). • Top 2 on Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit, not otherwise exempt (Dec. 3). • Top 2 on Asian Tour Order of Merit (Dec. 17). • Top 10 from Race to Dubai on Feb. 19. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on Feb. 19. • Highest-ranked golfer from Mexico in the Official World Golf Ranking, if not otherwise eligible (Feb. 19). • Top 10 in FedExCup Points on Feb. 26. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on Feb. 26. WGC-DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY (MP) @ Austin Country Club – March 21-25 • Top 64 inside the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking on March 12. THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP (TPC) @ TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course) – May 10-13 • Winners of PGA TOUR events thru the final week before THE PLAYERS. • Top 10 in FedExCup Points on April 30. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on April 30. • If necessary, golfers outside the Top 10 in FedExCup Points on April 30 will gain entry in order of position to complete the field of 144. WGC-BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL (BI) @ Firestone Country Club (South Course) – August 2-5 • Winner of Australian PGA Championship (Dec. 3). • Winner of the Indonesian Masters (Dec. 17). • Winner of a Sunshine Tour event to be determined (TBD). • Winner of 2018 Japan Golf Tour Championship (TBD). • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on July 23. • Top 50 from Official World Golf Ranking on July 30. • Winners of official tournaments from the Federation Tours with an Official World Golf Ranking strength-of-field rating of 115 points or more.

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