4 Sleeper Picks for the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open – Scottsdale Sleepers

Some 5,000 fans (per day) will frame the fairways at TPC Scottsdale, but there’s no doubt it’ll be a different feeling when players walk through the tunnel from the 15^th green to the 16^th tee.

The boisterous atmosphere every year at the Phoenix Open will be lacking, much to the dismay of the many would-be attendees. On the flip side, less noise equates to less pressure, and that bodes well for the contenders coming down the stretch on Sunday. Especially for the “unheralded names” who aren’t numb to the feeling of being in contention.

Keeping that thought in mind, there are a few Waste Management Phoenix Open sleepers worth consideration.

“Kuch” missed the cut in his last start (Sony Open) and hasn’t posted a top-10 finish since last February when he was the runner-up at The Genesis Invitational. He’s one of the shortest hitters out here and his putting appears to be waning.

Having said of all that, if there’s one golf course the 9x PGA Tour winner can regain some mojo at, TPC Scottsdale figures to be that place.

Talk about owning a sparkling record at a particular venue, Kuchar is 8-8 in Phoenix since 2009. He posted three straight top-10s here before finishing T16 at the 2020 WMPO.

Despite his struggles as of late, one thing we can bank on is Matt having tons of scoring opportunities at the fairly benign par-71 layout. Kuchar clocks in #1 on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy (74.34%).

Last week’s co-54-hole leader had a disastrous back nine on Sunday. Ortiz dropped six shots to par and tumbled down the leaderboard into a tie for 29^th. It wasn’t the finish Carlos was hoping for, but there plenty of positives to take away from his performance in La Jolla.

His sizzling 65 on Saturday at the South Course is a reminder that Ortiz belongs.

Carlos Ortiz gained 7.57 strokes on the field today with his round of 66. It's the second-best by anyone this week.

Viktor Hovland gained 9.76 in round 2 on the South Course.

— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) January 30, 2021

Seven consecutive cuts made upon arrival – a stretch of golf that includes a win at the Houston Open, a T8 in Mayakoba, and a T14 in Waialae. I’m penciling the 29-year-old in as one of my top sleeper picks for the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

One of the under-the-radar guys who has proven he can go low at TPC Scottsdale is Wyndham Clark. The bomber opened with a 10-under-par 61 at the 2020 Phoenix Open and is quietly playing some pretty decent golf.

Among Clark’s last six starts, he’s got a T23, and T13, and a solo-2^nd. Wyndham finished 32^nd last week at Torrey Pines and is starting to see his short-game work pay off.

Currently 24^th on the PGA Tour in SG: Around-the-Green, plus he ranks 27^th in SG: Off-the-Tee. It’s no wonder he’s got the ability to go deep into the red. 

After highlighting Michael Thompson as a DFS pick at The American Express, here’s a chance to ride Thompson all the way into the sunset. His +14000 odds at MyBookie are simply too juicy to pass given his current form.

How many other WMPO sleeper picks in this price range stroll into Scottsdale on the heels of four straight top-25s?

Michael hasn’t teed it up at this tournament since 2015, but he did notch a top-20 here in 2014. And for what’s it worth, Thompson grew up in the Grand Canyon State and is the two-time Arizona High School State Player of the Year (2002, 2003).

Feeling good about any of these Waste Management Phoenix Open sleeper picks? If Carlos Ortiz were to go on to win, it wouldn’t be the first time a golfer sealed the deal at this golf tournament after collapsing the Sunday before in San Diego.

Kyle Stanley rebounded from an excruciating loss at Torrey Pines in 2012 and won the following week in Scottsdale. Perhaps this will be Carlos’ time to shine.

For a deeper dive into this event, check out the following post.