WM Phoenix Open 2025 Tips: Dave Tindall's each-way picks from 22/1 to 150/1

• 22/123.00 Tom Kim found his form at Pebble and will thrive off the crowds

• 50/151.00 Billy Horschel made top 10 last week and loves Scottsdale atmosphere

• 150/1151.00 Webb Simpson is a former winner here and was 16th at the Sony Open last time

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Brief history of the WM Phoenix Open 

Back in 2022, Scottie Scheffler holed a 25-foot putt to beat Patrick Cantlay in a playoff and make the Phoenix Open his first ever title on the PGA Tour. It came on his 71st PGA Tour start.

Scheffler now has 13 wins from 131 starts which means he's won 12 times in his last 60. No wonder he's World No.1.

Two of those 13 have come here in Phoenix as he defended this title in 2023 after beating Nick Taylor by two.

Taylor made amends by winning last year (Scheffler was third) so the above few sentences highlight something very key about this event: course form.

Phil Mickelson and Mark Calcavecchia both have their names on the trophy three times while Scheffler, Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka, J.B.Holmes and Vijay Singh have all won twice here.

TPC Scottsdale is a links-style par 71 in the desert and measures 7,261 yards.

It's famous for the short par-3 16th when crowds fill the 20,000-seat grandstand and generally go beserk, most famously when Tiger Woods made a hole-in-one there in 1997.

Boos greet shots that miss the green and lots of money changes hands. No doubt there'll be a debate about whether the crowds have gone too far this time as American students, en masse, prove they can't take their beer. 

Be prepared for some overtime too as six of the last editions have gone to playoffs.

As for the weather, the PGA Tour's Rob Bolton, an Arizona resident, notes that there hasn't been rain there for over 150 days so the course, including the Bermuda greens, should be firm and fast. 

The rough is a little thicker while winds will be light. 

Tom Kim @ 22/123.00

If there's one thing that stands out in the new indoor TGL tournament - beyond the actual hitting of shots - it's that we very quickly get to see who are the extroverts and who are the introverts.

And, whether coincidence or not, those who have brought the energy to the impressive SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens have carried that on to the PGA Tour.

Three of the more ebullient characters so far include TGL co-founder Rory McIlroy, Tom Kim and Billy Horschel. Last week they finished first, seventh and ninth respectively at Pebble Beach - the trio all recording their best finishes of the season.

That was on the sleepy Monterey Peninsula but if there's a venue where their ability to feed off the energy of the crowd will receive most benefit, it's here in Phoenix at the most attended golf tournament in the world. 

Kim's season had got off to a poor start. He'd finished 65th at the Sony Open despite starting 68-65 and then missed the cut in The American Express (73-69-68).

But then he rocked up at the TGL and stole the show. Jupiter Links v Boston Common was billed as Tiger v Rory but Kim was the star performer, bouncing around manically and leading Woods' team to an unexpected win.

That definitely seemed to energise him at Pebble a few days later where he was tied for the lead on the final day before a bogey at the last left him seventh (a birdie at the par five closer would have been good enough for tied third).

TPC Scottsdale should be right up his street. The 22-year-old was only midfield on debut in 2023, although he did shoot a Friday 66. Last year he really showed his potential here by recovering from an opening 74 to fire 66-67-67. 

That meant he played the final 54 holes three shots better than winner Nick Taylor.

Kim went back to his blade putter at Pebble and it worked - he finished ninth for SG: Putting - while he's strong on Bermuda greens too.

If he can contend early and get the crowd fired up, this could be a very memorable week for the precociously talented Korean, who already has three PGA Tour titles to his name.

Two came in the Nevada desert (Shriners in Las Vegas in 2022 and 2023) so this type of golf clearly suits him.

Billy Horschel @ 50/151.00

The same riding the crowd's energy argument applies to Horschel of course. He's made his last 10 cuts at TPC Scottsdale and highs include sixth in 2022 and ninth in 2020. The American was poised for another good finish last year but fell from 17th after 54 holes to 43rd.

In 2022 he said: "I've always thrived in atmospheres like this, and I think all you have to do is look at how I've played the 16th hole here. I think I have the lowest scoring average since 2003. I think I'm 9- or 10-under par on that hole. It shows you that I love that arena and I thrive in it."

I also like this line for its honesty: "It does get a little crazy and you do have some fans that are not just idiots but absolute complete idiots out there, saying the dumbest things in the world."

But Horschel clearly loves the gladitorial element whether being cheered or abused and he returns showing some nice, progressive form.

He started his 2025 with a missed cut at the Sony but showed with a Friday 67 that there was nothing to worry about.

Then came a tied 21st at The American Express and after lighting up the TGL with his "Dirty Bird" dance (google it), Horschel came on strong at Pebble, firing 65-70-66 over the closing three laps to rise from 69th after 18 holes to tied ninth at the finish.

Strong iron play and putting have been key to Phoenix winners and Horschel ranked third for Strokes Gained: Approach at Pebble and eighth for SG: Putting.

A winner of the DP World Tour's prestigious BMW Championship at Wentworth at the end of September, Horschel says he'd love to win this title too. 

This could be the week.

Webb Simpson @ 150/1151.00

Scheffler could be hard to beat, especially in the firm conditions, while Sam Burns - a pick at Pebble last week where he finished 22nd - is the other one I like at the front end. 

Jake Knapp lives just over the road while Nick Taylor could go well again.

But I'll throw my final chip on a former winner here, Webb Simpson.

He's 150/1151.00 which suggests beating a field like this is something of an ask but I could certainly see him sneaking into a place and landing us a healthy each-way return.

Simpson, to many, is a blast from the past whose best days are behind him.

But the 2011 US Open champion was interviewed at Waialae last month and I was taken by some of his comments.

He said: "I still love the game of golf. Still love to compete. My schedule, I've cut back pretty significantly to be home more and to give myself to other things I'm passionate about.

"There is still a desire to play a high level of golf, but last year was kind of a trial run to see how I could do it, what not to do, what to do to stay sharp when I'm playing 12 to 14 events.

"I talked to Steve Stricker over the years. He did a wonderful job of playing less but still playing at a high level. I've grown a ton of respect for him because he did it for a number of years, and I realize how hard it actually is to play ten or twelve times a year, and he remained I think top 10 or 15 in the world."

Simpson also added this at Waialae: "I know I still can hit shots and make putts. I just haven't done it in a while for four days. I am ready to go, and we'll see how my game is this week."

Well, turns out it was pretty decent. He came out and posted 16th in the Sony Open. On the final leaderborad he was two shots off the top six.

Looking at his stats, Simpson ranked 10th for SG: Tee To Green and 27th for SG: Putting.

Hopefully, after that promising opener, he can now kick on a little and climb into the eight each-way places here at TPC Scottsdale where he won in 2020 and was runner-up in 2017. Overall he has five top 10s in this event.

Speaking in 2020, he said of the course: "I always love playing golf in the desert (he's also a winner in Las Vegas). This golf course has always been fun for me to play. I enjoy competing on it."

Pencilled in to be a Ryder Cup vice-captain for Keegan Bradley at Bethpage later in the year, Simpson is still very invested in all this and hopefully he can surprise a few this week.

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