Waste Management Phoenix Open 2026

The Waste Management Phoenix Open, returns this week to TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course in Scottsdale, Arizona, for what has become one of the most unique stops on the PGA Tour calendar. Known affectionately as “The People’s Open” and widely dubbed “The Greatest Show on Grass,” this event blends serious professional golf with a raucous, festival-like atmosphere that is unrivaled in the sport. 

TPC Scottsdale plays as a par-71 layout measuring about 7,261 yards, originally designed and later renovated by Tom Weiskopf, with fairly generous scoring opportunities offset by desert hazards and penal rough for errant shots. While not a long course by modern standards, precision off the tee and strong ball-striking remain vital given its relatively tight fairways and stern par-4s. 

The Phoenix Open’s spectator culture is legendary, especially around the par-3 16th hole, where tens of thousands of fans pack into a stadium-style amphitheater to cheer, chant and generally treat the golf hole more like a college stadium than a professional golf green. These grandstands, affectionately called “The Coliseum,” generate some of the loudest crowd noise heard anywhere in golf, and moments like holes-in-one on that 16th regularly provoke celebrations more akin to major sporting events than traditional golf tournaments. 

The 2026 field is strong, with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler headlining the field as the favorite and a multiple Phoenix Open winner seeking to add another trophy to his belt. Scheffler’s course history here — including victories in 2022 and 2023 — makes him a focal point of betting markets and pre-tournament discussion. Other notable names expected to contend include Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka and a deep cast of PGA Tour regulars. 

Over the years, the event has produced some low winning scores, exemplifying its scoring potential in optimal conditions. The tournament aggregate record is 256 (–28), first set by Mark Calcavecchia and later matched by Phil Mickelson. Recent winners include Thomas Detry, who shot 24-under 260 to win in 2025, and winners such as Nick Taylor (2024) and Scheffler (2022, 2023) have all taken advantage of the favorable scoring conditions. 

Weather in early February in the Phoenix area typically leans mild and dry. Historically, average highs hover around 21–22 °Cwith lows near the high 9. Rain is uncommon, and sunny skies prevail much of the month, though cool desert mornings and evenings are normal.  These conditions often produce firm and fast playing surfaces — perfect for low scoring but also demanding strategic shot-making when the wind picks up.

Off the course, the tournament week features concerts, fan events, sponsor exhibitions and a party-oriented crowd that makes the Phoenix Open a must-attend event for golf fans and casual sports enthusiasts alike. While the festive atmosphere is a key part of its identity, organizers have also taken steps in recent years to balance that energy with enhanced spectator safety and amenities. 

In sum, the Waste Management Phoenix Open is as much a cultural phenomenon within golf as it is a highly competitive PGA Tour event — a blend of elite golf, near-stadium atmospheres, and memorable moments that ensure it stands out among the early season’s tournaments.

If you want, I can also include predicted winner odds and top 10 betting favorites for 2026.

Maverick McNealy 2pts ew 30/1 (10 places bet365)

As the 2026 Waste Management Phoenix Open gets under way at TPC Scottsdale, Maverick McNealy enters this week with several reasons for optimism. McNealy has shown solid early-season form — most recently a tied 6th finish at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines (-11) after a T24 at the Sony Open in Hawaii — indicating he’s striking the ball and scoring effectively in 2026.  Over the longer term, the American has consistently been competitive on the PGA Tour: a victory at the 2024 RSM Classic and multiple top-three finishes last season reflect his ability to contend when all facets of his game click.  In strokes-gained terms, his recent performances show strengths, particularly approach and putting, which are crucial on the generally receptive TPC Scottsdale greens.

McNealy’s course form at the Phoenix Open itself is also encouraging. In his two most recent starts at TPC Scottsdale, he posted top-10 finishes, including a T9 at 14-under in 2025 and a T6 at 14-under in 2024, suggesting he handles the desert layout and its birdie opportunities well.  Those results underline that he can score low around this course, where precision around the green and managing par-5s pay dividends. While he isn’t among the top favorites on the early odds boards, McNealy’s combination of recent momentum and proven scoring ability at Scottsdale makes him one to watch if he continues to build on his strong starts and keeps his strokes-gained metrics in positive territory throughout the week.

Min Woo Lee 1pt ew 60/1 (10 places Powers)

Australian star Min Woo Lee arrives at TPC Scottsdale off a solid start to his early season, building on the encouraging form he carried over from late 2025 and into the start of 2026. In his most recent start at The American Express, Lee posted a respectable T38 finish, showing sharp ball-striking by hitting a high percentage of greens and generating scoring opportunities, a profile that suits the low-scoring Phoenix Open setup. According to his PGA Tour statistical profile, Lee ranks top 10 in driving distance and solidly above average in greens in regulation and birdie average, underlining his ability to reach many of the shorter par-4s and attack the TPC Scottsdale course aggressively. Off the tee and on approaches, he has consistently placed himself in position for birdies, which is key at Scottsdale, where scoring chances abound if you hit fairways and greens.

Lee’s course form at the People’s Open further bolsters his chances this week. In 2025, he finished tied for 12th at 13-under par, improving significantly on his debut in 2024, and he showed comfort with the Stadium Course’s demands and atmosphere. That result came with a strong closing 67 on Sunday, evidence of his ability to navigate the famed crowd-charged 16th hole and other scoring opportunities around the layout. Scottsdale often rewards proficient ball-strikers who can go low on the par-5s and convert birdie chances on the par-4s, and Lee’s ability to do both — combined with positive strokes-gained contributions around the greens — suggests he has the tools to challenge over four rounds if he finds his best form. 

Patrick Rodgers 1pt ew 75/1 (10 places Powers)

Patrick Rodgers comes to TPC Scottsdale for the Phoenix Open off a solid early 2026 season, highlighted by a solo third-place at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he finished –13 and showed strong ball-striking throughout the week. He backed that up with respectable showings at The American Express and a T27 at the Farmers Insurance Open, including a strong Sunday 66 that led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach in that final round. Those results have him sitting near the top of the FedEx Cup standings early, indicating confidence and rhythm in his game as he heads into Scottsdale. 

Statistically, Rodgers has been noteworthy this season in a couple of key metrics that suit the Phoenix Open setup. According to recent PGA Tour betting profiles, he ranks inside the top 25 on Tour in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, and his ability to consistently hit greens and score on approach shots will be vital on a course like TPC Scottsdale, where par-5 scoring and precise iron play often separate the leaderboard. While his putting numbers haven’t stood out historically, his tee-to-green performance gives him a foundation for a low score over four rounds if he keeps rolling the ball decently. 

At TPC Scottsdale, in 2023, he finished 14th at –8, and in 2020, he recorded a solid 16th-place showing at –10, showing that when his game is in sync he can take advantage of the relatively benign scoring conditions at this event. 

Christiaan Bezuidenhout 1pt ew 70/1 (10 places Powers)

At this week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, South African golfer Christiaan Bezuidenhout arrives in Scottsdale on the back of steady recent form and some strong history at TPC Scottsdale that suggests he’s a player to watch. In 2025, Bezuidenhout posted a tied-for-fourth finish at this event, shooting 16-under par, after rounds of 67-66-69-66, showing he can handle the unique scoring conditions and crowd-charged environment of the Stadium Course. Earlier appearances include a solid effort in 2024 as well, and while he missed the cut in 2023, his recent top finishes and comfort around the venue give him a much better baseline heading into this year’s tournament. 

In 2026, Bezuidenhout’s form has been respectable if not spectacular: he finished tied 38th at The American Express and tied 27th at the Farmers Insurance Open, showing consistency with the cut made and some scoring under par.  More analytically, his strokes-gained profile reflects strengths that can play well at TPC Scottsdale — particularly positive recent marks around the green and with approaches, which correlate with opportunities to make birdies even when driving isn’t dominant. In fact, recent data notes Bezuidenhout averaging around 0.469 strokes gained: approach and 0.513 around the green over his last five starts, while his putting also contributes positively to his overall game. This blend of short-game competence and prior course success makes him a plausible contender to get into the mix on a week when low scores often decide the leaderboard.

Jacob Bridgeman 1pt ew 80/1 (10 places bet365)

Jacob Bridgeman has quietly built a reputation this season as one of the more consistent performers on the PGA Tour, combining solid ball-striking with an above-average short game and putting stroke that can keep him in contention on scoring courses like TPC Scottsdale. In the early 2026 schedule he showcased his ability to climb leaderboards with a T-4 finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he closed with rounds in the 60s and finished at 12-under par — a strong indication that he can go low when his game is clicking.  Bridgeman’s Strokes Gained: Total this season ranks among the top players on Tour, driven particularly by his approach-to-green and putting metrics — he sits inside the top 25 in SG: Approach and inside the top 15 in SG: Putting, numbers that correlate well with strong week-long scoring. 

While Bridgeman doesn’t typically overpower fields with distance, his overall scoring average (among the lowest on Tour) and ability to generate birdie opportunities make him a good fit for a tournament like the Phoenix Open, where TPC Scottsdale’s receptive greens and relative scoring ease can reward accurate iron play and steady putting.  Last season he missed the cut at this event, but given his upward trajectory — including several top-10 and top-5 finishes over the past year — and the fact that he has gained more strokes on approach and around the greens compared to many peers, Bridgeman has the tools to post another low number and potentially contend on Sunday if he keeps that ball-striking and putting dialed in again this week.