Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale – 2025 Preview

Set in the Sonoran Desert and surrounded by the rugged McDowell Mountains, the PGA Tour heads to TPC Scottsdale for this week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. Completed in 1986 and designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, TPC Scottsdale has hosted this event for the last 37 years.

The “People’s Open” is one of the most popular sporting events in the world, hosting around 750,000 spectators annually. Known for its raucous crowds, especially at the par-3 16th hole, this event has a unique atmosphere and often produces a dramatic finale. The scoring margin has been one stroke in 15 of the past 18 years with eight playoffs, including last year when Nick Taylor outlasted Charley Hoffman on the second playoff hole.

While there are plenty of scoring chances at TPC Scottsdale, the winning score has only reached 20-under par twice in the last 17 years. Over the past five years, scoring has averaged -0.82. Strong drivers of the ball have had great success here, including Scottie Scheffler (won twice), Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama (won twice), Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas.

Ball-striking and distance off the tee are also important, especially in the thinner air where all three par-5s are reachable and can be aggressively attacked to set up eagle and birdie chances which are vital to success. Past course history also matters as TPC Scottsdale is the fourth most predictive course based on past performance.

The Field

After three consecutive weeks of course rotations and pro-am set-ups, it’s back to normal tournament golf with a 132-player field and a cut after 36 holes with the top 65 and ties advancing to the weekend. Scheffler, The No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) will be going for his third WM Phoenix Open victory in the last four years. Other top-25 players in the field include Hideki Matsuyama, Wyndham Clark, Justin Thomas, Sahith Theegala, Robert Macintyre, Sungjae Im, Billy Horschel, Sepp Straka, Sam Burns, Tom Kim, and Byeong Hun An.

TPC Scottsdale Course History

Commissioned by the City of Scottsdale to design a municipal golf course that would also test the best players in the world, many would agree that Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish achieved their goal with flying colors. Having sculpted it from the Sonoran Desert, it has become one of the most popular annual courses on the PGA Tour. While the Phoenix Open event has been called many names since it began in 1932, it moved to its present location at TPC Scottsdale in 1987.

TPC Scottsdale designer and one of the best architects of recent times, Tom Weiskopf, passed away in 2022. One of his most important contributions to course architectural philosophy was reviving the idea of driveable par 4s. He made a habit of including at least one on almost every course he designed, and typically on the back nine at crucial holes down the stretch. Most would agree that his most famous par 4 is the driveable 17th here at TPC Scottsdale. It’s the hole with the only par-4 ace in PGA Tour history thanks to Andrew Magee in 2001.

Another impact Weiskopf had on the game was his attempt to enhance the idea of “stadium golf”. Designed by Pete Dye, TPC Sawgrass was the first of the PGA Tour’s “stadium” courses. Weiskopf continued the tradition at TPC Scottsdale which has perhaps the most “stadium” feel of any course thanks to the 16th hole and the entire dramatic finishing stretch.

Finish Position and Strokes Gained History at TPC Scottsdale (2016-2024)

This includes the average finish position and Strokes Gained per round. Players are sorted by SG: Total.