– This Thursday marks the start of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a tournament that doesn’t need much extra embellishment to be one of the best of the year on the PGA Tour. Not even the fact that it is not designated diminishes it. It has everything by default: history (first played in 1932); a great course at TPC Scottsdale with a very recognisable finish starting at the 16th hole, the famous stadium par 3, the 17th hole, a drivable par 4, and the 18th hole, a demanding par 4; atmosphere, it is the tournament that sells the most tickets throughout the American season, although sometimes, like last year, it gets a bit out of hand, great participation from players…
– It seems that the weather will be favourable during the week. Not much wind is expected, not even reaching 10 miles in intensity, and there might be a drop of rain, but nothing significant. The firmness of the greens will be key to determining the score. Here, few are usually made. Between -15 and -20. On Monday and Tuesday, the course was still a bit soft. If it doesn’t firm up, very few will be made. It’s normal for a change to occur on Thursday.
– The tournament preview comes with two bets, one that pays a lot and another that is practically a giveaway. The second is that Scottie Scheffler and/or Nick Taylor will be in contention to win on Sunday. That’s what recent history says. In 2022, Scheffler won, repeated in 2023, and Taylor finished second, and the Canadian won in 2024 with Scheffler in third. They have been sharing the Phoenix pie lately. Additionally, Scheffler was seventh in 2021. Very good results always in these parts. He only missed the cut in his debut in 2020. Taylor’s story is much more curious. He has played every edition since 2015. Well, until 2022, he missed four cuts, and his best result was 49th. Then, second and first. It seems he has got the hang of the course.
– The first bet, the tricky one, involves Josele Ballester, the Spaniard who is still an amateur and is playing this week with an invitation as the US Amateur champion and a member of the Sun Devils, the university that is a stone’s throw from TPC Scottsdale. It’s his first regular tournament on the PGA Tour, and it seems obvious that making the cut would be a very good goal for this initial experience. However, don’t think it’s easy. Look, if not, at some recent Spaniards who have played their first regular tournament on the PGA Tour while still amateurs. The most recent was Eugenio López Chacarra, who missed the cut at Mayakoba in 2019, the same happened to Jon Rahm in 2014 at the same tournament, and the one who did make the cut on his debut was Pablo Martín Benavides. The Malaga genius finished 63rd at Mayakoba in 2007.
– Ballester will play his first official round in a regular PGA Tour tournament starting at 21:50, Spanish peninsular time, alongside South African Thriston Lawrence and American Frankie Capan III. He tees off from the 1st, exactly one hour and six minutes later than Scheffler.
