The WM Phoenix Open will feature the strongest field of the year, as the world’s best golfers head to TPC Scottsdale for this week’s tournament on the PGA Tour. The 2023 WM Phoenix Open is one of 13 elevated tournaments boasting a purse of $20 million or more this year.
Best known for the par-13 16th “Party Hole”, TPC Scottsdale is not every player’s favorite destination. Despite being an average course, there are a few surprise holes at the Phoenix Open golf course.
Scroll down below to learn more about the WM Phoenix Open 2023 course.
Good morning from @tpcscottsdale ☀️ pic.twitter.com/U36Jauza6J
— WM Phoenix Open (@WMPhoenixOpen) February 6, 2023
WM Phoenix Open 2023
The stakes will be higher than ever at the Phoenix Open this week.
The purse has doubled from last year as the PGA Tour hosts the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale.
The field is flooded with top-tier players, as 20 of the top 22 golfers on the Tour will be heading to Scottsdale. Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, and Collin Morikawa are among the golfers that will be teeing off at the Phoenix Open in 2023.
After a hot start to the season, Rahm leads the field with the best odds to win with +750.
McIlroy is set to make his PGA Tour debut this season and will be expected to be atop of the leaderboard after winning the DP Tour. He heads into Scottsdale with +900 odds.
Scheffler (+1400), Xander Schauffele (+1500), and Morikawa (+1600) round out the top five.
TPC Scottsdale Course Preview
TPC Scottsdale has been hosting the Phoenix Open since 1987.
The Jay Morrish/Tom Weiskopf designed course features wide fairways and large flat greens.
While the course was set up for low scoring by the pros, it rarely happens at TPC Scottsdale.
The course measures in at 7,261 yards. For a par 71, TPC Scottsdale isn’t an insanely long course but players will still need to be accurate off the tee.
Since the players are heading to the desert, the greens in Scottsdale will be fast, the fastest the Tour has seen this season. TPC Scottsdale features Bermudagrass greens, but it’s more of a blend than pure Bermuda Grass.
Players will also have to be sharp with their irons, as approach is going to be very important this week.
Key Holes To Watch At WM Phoenix Open
There are some key holes that require some extra attention from PGA Tour golfers this weekend.
Players will need to be careful on holes 11 and 17, which have given golfers some trouble at the Phoenix Open in recent years.
Watch Out For Hole No.11
The average score on hole 11 was 4.24 at last year’s Phoenix’s open. The 484-yard, par-4 11th hole is the hardest to navigate on the course.
While it doesn’t get much airtime, the hole requires a lot of players’ attention.
It’s a “reverse camber” hole meaning it doglegs one way while sloping the other. The hole uses gravity against the golfers and is the most demanding tee shot of the round.
With an average score that is approaching a bogey, this hole could be the difference at TPC Scottsdale this week.
Hole 17 Thriller
A lot of attention has been paid to the short par-3 16th, but it shouldn’t overshadow the next hole on the course.
The 332-yard 17th hole has a lot going on, adding another element to a thrilling finish.
The hole poses a challenge for the best players in the world, the green is reachable but there’s water to the left that makes accuracy off the tee crucial.
Hole 17 will be one to watch this weekend as players will need to come up with their best game plan. Off the tee the ball could fall in the fairway bunker or steep grass swale, which is one of the hardest shots in golf.
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