The biggest party in golf has arrived as the PGA Tour travels to Scottsdale, Arizona, for the 2024 WM Phoenix Open. Always a tournament to circle on the calendar, the WM Phoenix Open will look to follow up last year's Super Bowl double in the desert despite the lack of signature status attached to its name this season.
This event may no longer be a requirement for the game's top players, but the WM Phoenix Open will once again welcome a stout field to TPC Scottsdale. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler looks to make history in his fifth trip here as the two-time defending champion aims to become the first person since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic from 2009-11 to go back-to-back-to-back at a single tournament. Only nine men in PGA Tour history have ever accomplished such as feat with the likes of Tiger Woods, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus among those on the list.
If Scheffler wants to make that history, he will have to defeat a number of his U.S. Ryder Cup teammates in the process. Scottsdale resident Max Homa headlines the local crowd and will have his eyes on continued success at a course just down the road from his house.
Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth are among those players in a stretch of form but without any hardware to show for it. These two Americans have been unable to enter the winner's circle in some time, but given the quality of play recently, one would suspect this drought turning into a deluge in the near future.
Sam Burns continues to shine in the early stages of 2024. Shrugging off the disappointment of losing The American Express, Burns notched a top-10 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last week. The winner from the Monterey Peninsula, Wyndham Clark, eyes his fourth victory since the spring and should be more than comfortable in his backyard of Scottsdale.
2024 WM Phoenix Open schedule
Dates: Feb. 8-11 | Location: TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course) — Scottsdale, Arizona
Par: 71 | Yardage: 7,261 | Purse: $8,800,000
2024 WM Phoenix Open field, odds
- Scottie Scheffler (9/2)
- Justin Thomas (10-1): Two key factors are converging from Thomas: course history and current form. The 15-time PGA Tour winner is among the most successful at TPC Scottsdale with six straight top-20 finishes, three of which have doubled as top-five efforts. He arrives to Scottsdale this year riding a resurgent wave of form. Thomas has clocked five straight top-six finishes dating back to the fall, including last week at Pebble Beach. His iron play is back, and if the putter cooperates for 72 holes, he will be in fine shape for his first win since the 2022 PGA Championship.
- Max Homa (16-1): The Scottsdale transplant is amid a busy stretch of play; this will mark the third of four straight weeks on the golf course. Homa's 10-tournament, top-12 streak snapped at Pebble Beach with a poor T66 effort, but his hometown should be primed for his bounce back. The six-time PGA Tour winner has never missed the cut at the WM Phoenix Open with finishes of T14 in 2022 and T6 in 2020. The putter has been uncharacteristically cool in the early portions of 2024, but that club should get right sooner rather than later.
- Sam Burns (20-1): A breakout seems to be bubbling at the surface. The five-time PGA Tour winner has enjoyed a strong start to his 2024 season with a close call at The American Express and a quiet top-10 finish at last week's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Always reliable on the putting surface, Burns has found a new gear with his iron play, and that should allow him to contend more consistently moving forward. The world No. 20 finished T6 in last year's tournament.
- Jordan Spieth (20-1): The 2021 WM Phoenix Open marked the beginning of Spieth's return to relevance. His Saturday 61 was one of the more memorable rounds in recent years, and he has since continued his love affair with TPC Scottsdale. Finishing T6 in last year's tournament, Spieth ranked third from tee to green and second on approach. His iron play continues to look as sharp and will aid him to a similar result this year. However, if Spieth is to cross the finish line for the first time since the 2022 RBC Heritage, he will need to wield the blade more effectively and do without the short misses on the greens.
- Min Woo Lee (28-1)
- Byeong Hun An (28-1)
- Wyndham Clark (30-1)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (30-1)
- J.T. Poston (30-1)
2024 WM Phoenix Open expert picks
| Winner (9/2): He is very close to not only winning again but perhaps winning often. The world No. 1 has held at least a share of the 36-hole lead in the first two signature events of 2024 only to fall off the pace over the weekend. The putter has been the main issue, but the TPC Scottsdale greens could serve as an oasis in this barren wasteland. Scheffler has gained more than four strokes on the greens in each of his last three appearances in Scottsdale, which spells trouble for the rest of the field. | |
| Contender (28-1): It has not been the start to Lee's PGA Tour career that many envisioned. Lee has been quiet in two tournaments this season, but his form and charisma will have a chance to shine at the WM Phoenix Open. Claiming a T21 finish at The American Express, the Australian impressed off the tee and around the green — two areas that will be key this week. Still twice a winner in his last seven worldwide starts, Lee will start finding his feet on the PGA Tour soon and perhaps even sooner if the iron play turns up. | |
| Sleeper (55-1): The wily veteran is going unnoticed at the moment. Scott has nabbed five straight top-20 finishes around the globe, including top-five finishes at the Bermuda Championship and Australian Open. Fresh off a nice result at Pebble Beach, the former Masters champion should have realistic opportunity to become yet another surprise winner on the PGA Tour. He ranked sixth last week in terms of ball striking and has found his groove with the broomstick. | |
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