This week we head to TPC Scottsdale in Arizona for the Waste Management Phoenix Open which hosts the loudest and largest crowd on the PGA Tour. The course is set in the Sonoran Desert and surrounded by the picturesque McDowell Mountains.

The crowd is expected to be around 500,000 for the 4 days and most of the students from nearby Arizona State University come out to cheer on the players.

The course is a Par 71, measuring 7216 yards, with 79 sand bunkers which are strategically placed around the greens and on the fairways. There are also 6 holes which feature water including 3 of the last 4 holes, which makes for exciting golf.

Scoring is generally low so players can be aggressive on this course however they have to pick their moments as several holes can jump up and bite you hard. Looking at the past 10 winners they have averaged -18, so expect the same this year as the weather conditions are looking at being ideal. The course was ranked 42nd from 52 courses in difficulty on the 2011 PGA Tour.

The 16th hole is a par 3 and is considered the ‘party’ hole. It is the only fully enclosed hole on the PGA tour. Stands are erected around the hole and fans go wild if a player lands the ball on the green or holes a putt for birdie, whilst giving them an almighty boo should they miss the green altogether or miss an easy putt. It is no place for the faint hearted.

The hole has seen 8 hole-in ones during the tournament and the last one was in 2011 by our own Aussie boy Jarrod Lyle, who incidentally has been given a late call up this year due to Nick Watney pulling out with an injury.

There are a few players in the field this year who are multiple winners of this event. They include JB.Holmes (2006,2008), Vijay Singh (1995,2003) and Phil Mickelson (1996,2005).

Phil is a real crowd favourite here as he is an Arizona State University Alumni and the crowd love getting behind him. Billy Mayfair is also an Alumni who lives right next to the course. He is a huge favourite with the locals and even wore an Arizona State jersey on the 16th hole during round 2 last year. His tee shot hit the pin and the crowd went nuts! Watch for the crowd to get behind him again this year.

Looking at the field this week there are several players with good course form who have just missed out on making the short list. They include:-

Y.E. Yang was T8th last year and 3rd in 2010. He is coming off a missed cut in the Farmers Insurance.

Scott Piercy is another guy with good form with T8th in 2010, T6th in 2009 and T15th in 2006. He also has good current form with T13th in the Farmers last week and a T12th in the Sony Open at the start of the season.

So now it’s down to the part where we try and back a winner on an each way basis. I have crunched the numbers and stats and believe I have found two players who will give us a real good run for our money.

Martin Laird:

This Scotsman now calls Scottsdale home. He lives right next to the course and was an excellent T3rd here last year. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational last year as well as recording 6 top 10’s from his 23 starts. He has hit the ground running in 2012 with a 2nd in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and a T14th in the Humana Challenge. His stats for this season have him ranked 1st in GIR’s, 2nd in Birdie average and 1st for Par 4 performance and 5th in Ball striking. He also ranks highly in driving distance every year.

Odds: $23 at Sportsbet Australia

Mark Wilson:

Talking of great starts to the year! You can’t go past Mark Wilson. He started with a T18th in the Hyundai, followed by a missed cut in the Sony Open then backed it up next with a 1st in the Humana Challenge beating Wagner, Mallinger and Garrigus by 2 shots. All 4 rounds were under par. He took the week off and missed the Farmers Insurance so he is nice and fresh. He started 2011 with a bang as well. He won the Sony Open then won the Phoenix Open in a second hole play-off with Jason Dufner. He was also T14th in 2010, T48th in 2009 and T9th in 2008. His stats rank well for the season with 4th in GIR’s, 7th in driving accuracy and 3rd in par 4 performance. I also expect the crowd to get behind him this week and become the first back to back winner of the tournament since Johnny Miller in 1974-75. At the odds he represents great each way value.

Odds: $34 at Sportsbet Australia

Last Week’s Results

We had a winner!!

In the Farmers Insurance we selected Nick Watney and Brandt Snedeker. We had a great start to the year with Snedeker winning the tournament at 23/1. Let’s hope we can keep it going.

See you all next week for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California.