Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

WM Phoenix Open

PGA Tour: WM Phoenix Open Preview

by

SCOTTSDALE – The WM Phoenix Open is the 15th event of the 2022-23 PGA Tour season and second designated event, featuring 22 of the Top 25 players in the Official World Golf Ranking (37 of top 50), nine of the Top 10 players in the FedEx Cup standings (all but Justin Rose) and 11 of the 12 players that have won on Tour this season (all but Rose).

The field was expanded from the original size of 132 players to 134 to include the entire Top 125 category of the priority ranking. The last man in the field is Kelly Kraft, who finished No. 125 in the 2021-22 FedExCup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler earned his first career PGA Tour victory at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open and went on to win the Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA Tour Player of the Year. Scheffler is the reigning champion of four PGA Tour events over the next nine weeks (WM Phoenix Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, Masters Tournament) and won those titles in a span of six starts during the 2021-22 season. Scheffler’s scoring average at the WM Phoenix Open is 67.80, tied with Xander Schauffele for the second-lowest among any player (minimum of 10 rounds) since the event moved to TPC Scottsdale in 1987.

Rory McIlroy is making his second start of the season and first since winning THE CJ Cup in South Carolina. The last player to win each of his first two starts of the season was Tiger Woods in 2008.

McIlroy has won in each of his last two starts on the PGA Tour (2022 Tour Championship, 2022 CJ Cup in South Carolina). The last player to win in three consecutive starts was the LIV’s Dustin Johnson in 2016-17. McIlroy accomplished the feat during the 2013-14 season.

Waste Management Phoenix Open | Tournament Facts

COURSE: TPC Scottsdale, Arizona (Stadium Course)

YARDS/PAR: 7,261 yards/Par 71

ARCHITECTS: Tom Weiskopf \ Jay Morrish

PRIZE Money – Purse: $20,000,000/$3,600,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Scottie Scheffler

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

Theegala Leads at WM Phoenix Open

by

SCOTTSDALE – Sahith Theegala is seeking to become the first sponsor exemption to win on the PGA TOUR since Martin Laird (2020 Shriners Children’s Open). Theegala played his final two holes of Round One Friday morning (bogey-bogey), but came back to birdied his first three holes and four of his last six in Round Two to finish with a 7-under (64), tying the low score of the week (Talor Gooch/R2, Sam Ryder/R2).

Following a T-2 in last year’s WM Phoenix Open, Xander Schauffele seeks fifth career Tour title and first in over three years.

With a win, Brooks Koepka would become the seventh player to successfully defend a WM Phoenix Open title

Patrick Cantlay is seeking to become the first player to win the WM Phoenix Open in his debut since Koepka (2015).

World No. 1 and Arizona State grad Jon Rahm sits seven strokes back at 5-under (137).

 

WM Phoenix Open Leaderboard – After two rounds

Sahith Theegala 66-64—130 (-12)

Brooks Koepka 66-66—132 (-10)

Xander Schauffele 67-65—132 (-10)

Patrick Cantlay 67-66—133 (-9)