SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The WM Phoenix Open is almost ready to go, and the vibe on the ground has certainly been one of great anticipation. 

TPC Scottsdale will host the first full-field designated event of the year, and the first this year in a legalized betting state. And with the Super Bowl also in town, the crowds in the area are even more energized than normal – if that’s possible. 

One of the points of difference Golfbet content will provide for our avid readers is plenty of inside-the-ropes insight and access. So as you look to make your final decisions ahead of Thursday’s opening round, keep these on-site nuggets in mind.

Jon Rahm is the +700 favorite as of Wednesday afternoon with BetMGM Sportsbook. A winner twice already in 2023, Rahm is a Scottsdale resident who went to Arizona State after leaving his home in Spain as a teen. He has never finished worse than 17th in Phoenix from seven starts. 

“Being from Arizona State, I'm plenty familiar with desert golf. It's just a place that I'm comfortable,” Rahm said. “It's also a course that at first glance it might seem easier than what the scoring usually is. 

“With the scoring conditions getting as hard as they get on the weekend with the firm greens and fast, ball-striking obviously is a premium. So I think that's always given me a chance to stay up there. I'm hoping come the weekend, I've done a good enough job to go to that back nine knowing that I have a chance to win it.”

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, coming off a win in Dubai, is +800 to win. McIlroy was asked if he felt like the best player in the world after some suggested Rahm might be in better form, and he answered in the affirmative. 

“I'm playing well. I feel like consistency-wise; I've been as good as I have been ever in my career. I said at the end of last year, I feel like as complete of a player as I ever have. If you just look at my statistical categories, there are no real glaring weaknesses there. I've worked really hard on that, to try to become a more well-rounded player,” McIlroy said. 

“I think the results speak for themselves, as well, over not just the past six months but really the past 18 months post-Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, I feel like I've been on a really good run of form since then.”

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler (+1200) likes his chances again. He led the TOUR in Greens in Regulation last season and knows this metric is a key factor in Phoenix. 

“I don't like missing greens, so being able to hit the most is a lot of fun,” he smiled. 

“From 2021 to 2022 I really improved my iron play… as far as hitting a lot of greens, I think that's part of playing consistent golf. I think when you see the best players in the world, most of them are very, very consistent ball strikers, and so I was able to kind of make that jump from '21 to '22, and hopefully I'll continue to improve.”

Xander Schauffele (+1400) revealed to Golfbet that he wasn’t at 100 percent fitness in recent stops, where he finished T3 at The American Express and T13 at the Farmers Insurance Open. He added he’s now without excuses and feeling healthy as he looks to add to his five appearances of T17 or better in Phoenix. 

Collin Morikawa (+1600) opened at +2200 and has seen his price drop sharply since. He represents BetMGM’s biggest liability as of Wednesday afternoon. Walking briefly with him on Wednesday, I saw his usual crisp ball-striking. He held himself to a high standard, showing annoyance with a 192-yard tee shot that ended pin high and just 20 feet left of the hole. Morikawa talked confidently about his chances coming off a second and third in his last two starts. 

Patrick Cantlay (+2000) will look to go one better than his playoff runner-up finish from a year ago. When asked how the usually reserved character managed to handle the chaotic scenes in Phoenix, Cantlay told Golfbet that he’s conditioned to not noticing it. In fact, it is a great test of his ability to find his focus zones and get his job done. His confidence was palpable. 

Justin Thomas (+2200) has had two third-place showings in Phoenix, and his last four attempts have all landed inside the top 13. On Tuesday he appeared to be grinding hard on his game on the range and practice areas, not particularly loose or happy with how things were going. But come Wednesday he appeared much looser after shaking off an early pro-am double bogey to finish with three straight birdies. 

Sahith Theegala (+4000) was the rookie sensation a year ago who looked set for a breakthrough win only to get an unlucky bounce on the 17th hole Sunday that found the water. He settled for third and leveraged the confidence all the way to a TOUR Championship berth. When I checked in with him Wednesday, he was beaming from ear to ear. “Where else would you want to be?” he asked with a smile. “This place is awesome. I can’t wait to get started."

Lucas Herbert’s (+10000) steely eyes turned up when he saw his 100/1 odds. Coming off a third-place finish in the Saudi International last week, Herbert looked like a man with a point to prove as a relative longshot in a star-studded field.

Football fans gathered around town must endure another few days of anticipation before their big game gets underway. But for golf fans, the show begins at dawn. And with 22 of the top 25 players in the world and the top 10 in the current FedExCup standings all here, we are in for one hell of a ride.

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