PGA Tour: Waste Management Phoenix Open 2012 Winner Odds and Betting Preview

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – This week’s PGA Tour event comes from TPC at Sawgrass as the players compete for the $6,100,000 purse on offer at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.  This is one of the most popular events on the Tour and the spectators will flood in to line the fairways throughout all four days of the event. The par-three 16th hole is one of the most iconic holes in golf thanks to the unique atmosphere that greets players as they stand on both the tee and gree. The hole is surrounded by stands creating a stadium-like feel, which can be an intimidating place for any golfer.  The course is 7,200 yards long and although distance off the tee is required, the winner of this event will need to master the greens with putter in hand.

Webb Simpson has been installed as the 16/1 favourite for this tournament (bet £1 to make £16 profit) and he has had two weeks off to prepare for this event. He finished last season by pushing Luke Donald all the way for the money list title and has begun well in 2012. Simpson was in a share of third place at his seasonal reappearance in Hawaii before recording a tied 38th finish at the Sony Open. He is one of the most consistent players on the Tour and will hope to improve on his tied eighth placed finish here last year.

Next in the betting comes Brandt Snedeker, who is available at 20/1 with bet365 and betinternet. He won the Farmers Insurance Open last week in a play-off after Kyle Stanley suffered a torrid time on the eighteenth and Snedeker took full advantage of his opponent’s big mistake. He has recorded two top-ten finishes at Scottsdale since 2007 and was another who finished in a share of eighth place in 2011.  

Scotland’s Martin Laird has been quoted at 22/1 with Paddy Power and Stan James and he finished in a tie for third at this event last year. He has started this season very strongly finishing second at Kapalua and also secured a top-15 finish at the Humana Championship. Seven of his eight rounds this year have been in the 60s which shows his consistency to perform week-in week-out on the Tour. However only two non-Americans, Aaron Baddeley and Vijay Singh have won this tournament and so Laird will face an uphill task in Arizona.

Rickie Fowler was runner-up here in 2010 and is currently quoted at odds of 25/1 with BetVictor to win his first event on the PGA Tour this week. His game is suited to this course and he shot the lowest score of 62 in last year’s event. Fowler began his 2012 season with a solid performance at the Farmers Insurance Open where he finished 13th, ranking second in the driving accuracy statistic which should help him around Scottsdale.

The experienced Phil Mickleson is a two-time winner in Arizona and has recorded four other top-tens since 2002. He spent his college years in Arizona and it will be no surprise to see him bounce back from missing the cut last week by putting in a strong performance in the desert. He is a general 25/1 chance to win this week and Mickleson will have seen Tiger Woods’ return to form on his first start in Abu Dhabi. The left-hander will want to prove he is still able to challenge his old rival.  

A Scottsdale resident, Bubba Watson can be backed at 35/1 with Betfred and this course knowledge combined with his huge length off the tee could help him secure his fourth PGA Tour title.  He has had a decent start to the 2012 campaign with top-20 finishes at all three of the tournaments in which he has played so expect him to challenge at the top of the leaderboard this weekend.

The defending champion Mark Wilson is available at 35/1 with bet365 to follow up from his play-off victory over Jason Dufner last year. He has started 2012 in fine form winning the Humana Challenge two weeks ago and is very strong with the putter. His course management is one of the strongest aspects of his game and he will hope to capitalize on the mistakes of his competitors.  

Kyle Stanley will have nightmares about his play on the final green at last week’s Phoenix Open for many months to come but he is priced up at 50/1 with William Hill to bounce back straight away and secure his maiden PGA Tour title. His game looks ideally suited to this course as he hits a long ball and was ranked third in last week’s statistic for greens in regulation. It remains to be seen as to whether he will be in the correct mental state to challenge here but should not be discounted by each-way punters who can get 1/4 odds, six places with Ladbrokes.

Selected others include: Camilo Villegas a 45/1 chance with bet365, the in-form John Rollins currently on offer at 50/1 with most firms and the well-backed Scott Piercy a standout 50/1 with 188Bet.

The first group tees off at 14.30 GMT on Thursday 2nd February and the day one action is broadcast live on Sky Sports 3.

Waste Management Phoenix Open 2012 – Winner Odds