Golf best bets: 3 props for the WM Phoenix Open
The biggest party in golf is going down this weekend at the WM Phoenix Open from TPC Scottsdale, starring the rowdy par-3 16th hole surrounded by a makeshift stadium. The WM Phoenix Open is one of the most entertaining PGA Tour events of the year, but we're looking to make it even more fun with three props for the Super Bowl appetizer.
Will there be a hole-in-one? Yes (-120 FanDuel)
This is as good as it gets in golf props. There's nothing quite like a player sinking a hole-in-one in front of tens of thousands of inebriated fans while beer rains down on the green from above. The only thing that would make it better would be if we cashed a ticket at the same time.
There has been at least one ace at the WM Phoenix Open in four of the last five years. Scottsdale has also been hit with heavy rain showers this week, so the greens will be soft and receptive for the first few rounds. With soft greens, players are able to fire at pins more aggressively and know their ball will stick in place or spin back. That makes a hole-in-one more likely.
Wyndham Clark top-20 finish (+180 ESPN BET)
The Wyndham Clark disrespect in the betting market is getting out of hand. He's the No. 6-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking, won a major championship and a signature event last season and is coming off a win at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in which he broke the course record with a 12-under 60 in the third round.
Despite all that, Clark is priced behind Tom Kim, Cameron Young, Sahith Theegala, Min Woo Lee and J.T. Poston in the top-20 market. That's simply incorrect. Clark gained strokes in all four major categories last week and led the field in strokes gained: putting. He also finished T10 at the WM Phoenix Open last year in a more competitive field.
Kevin Yu top-10 finish (+800 ESPN BET)
TPC Scottsdale is a ball-striker's paradise, and there aren't many players flushing it as well as Kevin Yu right now. The 25-year-old has gained strokes off the tee and with his irons in three straight starts, and he ranked second in the field last week in strokes gained: approach. He didn't have a good finish because he was dead last in the field in SG: putting, which has been a problem for Yu since he joined the PGA Tour in 2022.
Well, the good news for Yu is that TPC Scottsdale is one of the easiest putting courses on the schedule. He also attended nearby Arizona State University, so he has plenty of experience on desert golf courses. He's had success on similar grass types in the past, and he finished inside the top 10 in three of the last four tournaments in which he gained strokes on the green.
When Yu putts well (which isn't often), he contends because of how well he hits the ball.
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