February 2, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
Okay, now is the time to make your pick of your fantasy golf lineup and get things in order with your favorite betting system. Come February 4-7 the Waste Management Phoenix Open will be in full swing at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona.
According to Athlon Sports, here’s what their best Waste Management Phoenix Open lineup looks like in this week’s golfer predictions:
Justin Thomas ($10,800)
The top pick is an extremely tough call this week. There’s Jon Rahm, who has set up permanent residence atop weekly leaderboards; Xander Schauffele (ditto); Rory McIlroy, who arrives feeling salty after a bad final round at the Farmers; and defending champ Webb Simpson, among others. But we’ve got a feeling about JT this week. Thomas hasn’t finished outside the top 25 stateside in his last eight tournaments, with five top-8 finishes in that span (although, full disclosure — he did miss the cut in Abu Dhabi a week ago). He’s first on Tour in birdie average, third in scoring, fourth in SG: Total, fifth in SG: Around the Green and sixth in SG: Tee to Green. That’s a bulletproof resume. Speaking of feeling salty — JT is carrying the sting of an audible anti-gay slur at the Sentry in his last U.S. appearance. He’s the kind of guy who channels frustration into positive results. Even better for JT: COVID-limited crowds this week at what is normally the most riotous stop on Tour, so limited heckling.
Will Zalatoris ($9,000)
Zalatoris continues to straddle two worlds quite successfully — the PGA Tour, where he has special temporary membership thanks to his stellar play, and the Korn Ferry Tour, where he tops the points list. And he achieved something remarkable at the Farmers Insurance last Friday, shooting a 1-under par 71 while hitting exactly one fairway. In other words — even when he lacks his best stuff, he can still get around a course relatively unscathed. He went on to finish T7 at Torrey Pines, his fourth top 10 on Tour since September. Not bad for a part-timer. Kid’s going places.
Rickie Fowler ($8,600)
We did a double-take when we noticed that Rickie’s ranking in the world has fallen all the way to No. 62, his lowest in more than a decade (he was in the world top 10 as recently as May 2019). You gotta believe that he’s bottomed out and that a bounce — even of the dead-cat variety — is imminent. He’s cheaper than he’s been in a while, and he’s a recent champion in Phoenix, winning in 2019 by two strokes despite a final-round 74. He did have a T21 at the American Express a couple of weeks ago, so the news isn’t all bad.
Max Homa ($7,900)
Homa has three straight top-21 finishes, including a T18 at the Farmers this past weekend, where he was in contention before a lackluster weekend. He also finished T6 at Phoenix last year, part of a scorching West Coast Swing that included three top 10s. We’re going to ride the relatively hot hand for another week.
Luke List ($7,200)
List is a classic grinder who won’t quit until he finds it in the dirt. After a stretch of six missed cuts in seven starts, List has righted the ship, with finishes of T21 at the American Express and T10 at the Farmers in his last two starts. He’s seventh in SG: Off the Tee and 24th in SG: Tee to Green, so it’s clear which club is holding him back. Even an average week with the putter could yield contention.
Nate Lashley ($6,300)
Lashley has shown only brief flashes since his 2019 Rocket Mortgage win, but one of them came at last year’s Waste Management Phoenix Open — a T3 in which he shot four rounds in the 60s. Not much to show for this season, aside from an out-of-nowhere solo fourth at the Corales Puntacana. In other words, he’s capable.
Ready. Set. Bet!
