HP 🍑 for the WM Phoenix Open 2024

First Look: TPC Scottsdale @ Scottsdale, AZ

Check out DB’s full Course Breakdown for everything you need to know about this week’s venue including in-depth stats and data from Bet The Number.

Well, we knew weather was going to be a factor, but I’m not sure too many people had Wyndham Clark nearly dropping a 59 on his way to a win in a Saturday finish. For those who benefitted from the cancellation: congrats on a well-deserved win! If not, here’s hoping the bookies have some sympathy…. With the California Swing behind us, we move inland to ‘The People’s Open’ for a rowdy weekend in the desert. Some of golf’s biggest names will be there, including Pat & DB! With all eyes on TPC Scottsdale, here’s everything you need to know this week ahead of the WM Phoenix Open.

Let’s get into it!

Welcome to the Show:
Get to Know the 2024 PGA Tour Rookies

Thanks to recent eligibility changes from the PGA Tour, 45 newly minted Tour Cards were handed out ahead of the 2024 season. Each week, we’ll spotlight a few up-and-comers whose names will be important to know as the year progresses.

• Ryo Hisatsune - Japan

  Like his fellow countryman Hideki Matsuyama, Ryo Hisatsune has burst onto the scene at a remarkably young age. The 21-year-old fast-tracked his way from the Japanese tour to the biggest stage in golf in less than three years since turning pro in 2021. Last year, Hisatsune became the first Japanese player ever to be named the DP World Tour Rookie of the Year, and the hotshot’s record of one win and seven additional top-10s was enough to earn a TOUR card for the 2024 season. Despite his relative inexperience, Hisatsune made five starts on the PGA TOUR prior to earning his card and made the cut in every single one. In fact, through three events in 2024, he still has yet to miss a single cut on the PGA TOUR. If he carries on like this, he could become the first player ever to win back-to-back Rookie of the Year Awards across both of the world’s premier tours.

• Patrick Fishburn - Odgen, UT

  At the other end of the age spectrum is 31-year-old Patrick Fishburn. The Utah native finally earned his TOUR card through the KFT points list in his third straight year on the developmental tour. But he did so in style - flashing his world-class iron play as he led the entire tour in GIR percentage at just over 78%. But it’s a good thing he hits the green that often because he struggles to score if he’s wayward on approach. Fishburn ranked outside the top 100 in Scrambling as well as Putts Per Round on the KFT in 2023. He’s yet to make a cut through two starts in 2024, and he lost over a stroke on and around the greens in his last appearance at the Farmers. He’ll need to work out the kinks in his short game before he’s worth considering as a betting option in 2024.

• Max Greyserman - Short Hills, NJ

  Max Greyserman earned his TOUR card in 2023 following his fourth full season on the Korn Ferry Tour. The former Duke Blue Devil finished 9th in the final KFT points list off the back of seven top-15 finishes including two runner-ups. The 28-year-old has yet to record a victory at the pro or collegiate level, but there’s no better time to get your first than on the PGA TOUR. He’s an all-around solid player who boasted above-average stats in every category except approach play during last year’s KFT season as he ranked 72nd in GIR %. But surprisingly, his iron play has been the lone bright spot of his early 2024 season. His play on the green as well as off the tee has let him down en route to a pair of missed cuts and a T56 through three events.

1. SG: Off the Tee Leaders last 30 rounds: 1. Champ  2. Yu  3. An 4. Vegas 5. Scheffler  6. Ghim 7. Conners  8. Mitchell 9. Duncan 10. Homa

2. SG: Approach Leaders last 30 rounds: 1. Hoge  2. Scheffler 3. Woodland 4. van Rooyen 5. Lower  6. Svensson  7. Kim, Michael  8. Glover  9. Cole 10. Hubbard

3. SG: ARG Leaders on Poa Overseeded Greens + Chipping Areas last 24 rounds:  1. Lee, Min Woo 2. Hall  3. Griffin, Ben  4. Fitzpatrick  5. MacIntyre  6. An  7. Baddely 8. Yuan  9. Im 10. Kuchar

4. SG: Putting on Overseeded Greens Leaders last 24 rounds:  1. Ramey 2. Lee, Min Woo  3. Kuchar  4. Griffin, Ben  5. Moore, Taylor 6. Ryder 7. Burns  8. Montgomery  9. Kim, Michael 10. Suh

5. SG: APP from 125-175 last 24 rounds: 1. Bhatia  2. Hubbard 3. Kim, Michael  4. Glover  5. Young, Carson 6. Thompson, Davis 7. Kitayama  8. Mitchell  9. Moore, Ryan 10. Hadley

6. SG: APP from 175-240 last 24 rounds: 1. Scheffler  2. Young, Cameron 3. Eckroat  4. Hoge  5. Spaun  6. Hadley  7. Mitchell 8. McCarthy  9. Svensson 10. Hoffman

7. SG: Putting on Overseed Greens from 8’-20’ last 24 rounds: 1. Burns  2. Griffin  3. Lower  4. Fowler  5. Kuchar  6. Lee, Min Woo 7. Todd 8. Suh  9. Hadwin 10. Merritt

8. Top 10 in Driving Accuracy % last 30 rounds: 1. Laird  2. Moore, Ryan  3. Merritt  4. Blair  5. Young, Carson 6. Glover  7. Putnam  8. Duncan  9. Bhatia 10. Todd

9. SG: Total (Per Rd vs Field) at TPC Scottsdale last 8 rounds: 1. Scheffler  2. Thomas  3. Im  4. Theegala  5. Horschel  6. Hadwin 7. Matsuyama  8. Moore, Taylor  9. Vegas  10. Noren

10. Top 10 in Data Golf Positive Course History vs. Expectation: 1. Higgo 2. Theegala 3. Moore, Taylor  4. Scheffler  5. Lashley  6. Homa  7. Kitayama 8. Knus  9. Matsuaya 10. An

We’re thrilled that Underdog chose to launch Season Long PGA TOUR Best Ball Drafts starting on 2/8 with the Waste Management and ending at The Open. There’s plenty of strategy involved in drafting your 10-man teams, but the beauty of Best Ball is the joy of drafting and then sitting back and enjoying the sweat for 22 weeks!

DB will be doing LIVE drafts regularly between now and the contest starting on 2/8. Plus, we’ve got a dedicated thread in the DISCORD talking about strategy and rankings. Check out DB’s 1st draft to see how it works, and click the banner above to get a 100% deposit match on your first $100 deposited.