DFS PGA PLAYBOOK - WASTE MANAGEMENT OPEN

What a finish last week at Torrey Pines!  Jon Rahm was just unreal on the back nine and put his name on everyone’s radar after that performance.  Regular DFS Golf players have known about him since late last season when he burst on the scene making the cut in six of the seven events he played with a second place, third place and two other Top 25 finishes.  Rahm did make my playbook this week when normally I might have faded him knowing how highly owned he would be.  He attended Arizona State University which is nearby TPC Scottsdale which plays host to this week’s Waste Management Open.

The Masters is my favorite event on the PGA Tour Schedule but coming in a close second is the Waste Management Open at TPC Scottsdale.  This is not a major but it’s so much more than that.  This is one tournament where golf fans get a chance to let loose and party during the event.  It all starts with the 16^th hole, oh baby!  It is a Par 3 that is fully enclosed (the only one on the PGA Tour) by grandstands which can hold up to 20,000 crazy drunk fans.  The players walk out through a tunnel and are greeted by these rowdy fans.  A roar erupts every time a ball lands on the green but when a ball falls short, the boo birds are out in full force.  I will never forget when Tiger Woods aced this famed hole in 1997, it was one of the loudest cheers I’ve heard at any sporting event.  It happened before the huge grandstand was built but the legend of this hole seems to grow with every passing year.

Ok, let’s talk about the rest of the course.  It is a Par 71, and it stretches out 7,266 yards with 79 sand bunkers which are placed perfectly around the greens and on the fairways to truly punish players.  There is also six holes with water, including three of the last four.  The average winning score over the past 10 years has been 18 under par which may make this course seem easier but it can easily bite a player in the ass.

When you look at the players who have had a lot of success at the Waste Management, they are all good GIR (Greens in Regulation) players from off the fairway.  If players can’t hit the fairway, you must look at players who are good scramblers and bunker players for success.  Length off the tee is not huge advantage on this course but it doesn’t hurt either.  This is a ball striker’s course, which is why Hideki Matsuyama is tops on my board this week (not to mention his course history).

This really is a fun event to watch, especially on TV when they feature the 16^th hole.  Some players on tour really play up to the crowd and enjoy the adventure of that hole but there are always party poopers who just want to be done with that hole and forget it exists.  A lot of players avoid playing in this event just because of that hole and I’m glad they do, who needs them anyway.  I really feel like the PGA Tour needs to have more fun out of the box events like these to keep the youth of America interested in playing and watching the game.

Finally, lets welcome back our friend Paige.  We are both very frustrated with mixed results through the first few weeks of the 2017 season.  It is time to get back on track and what better place to do it than the Waste Management Open.  I can’t wait to watch this weekend …

Good Luck Everyone!

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ONE & DONE PLAY: