TPC Scottsdale Key Fantasy Stats

Waste Management Phoenix Open

January 31st – February 3rd, 2019

TPC Scottsdale

Scottsdale, AZ

Par: 71 / Yardage: 7,261

Purse: $7.1 million

with $1,278,000 to the winner

Defending Champion:
Gary Woodland

by Sal Johnson

Founder, Chief Data Officer, GOLFstats

E-mail me at:
sal@golfstats.com

This is based on the most important stats for TPC Scottsdale, based on data from last years Waste Management Phoenix Open, and using data from all the players in the field for with stats from 2019.

The scoring average of the field on TPC Scottsdale last year was 70.32, so with par being 71, that means the average score was a bit less than three-quarters of a stroke under par, making TPC Scottsdale the 32nd hardest course to score on in 2018.

In looking at the stats for TPC Scottsdale last year, driving and greens hit are essential. With fast fairways, the course ranked 39th in driving distance and 9th in driving accuracy. Going a step further of the ten TPC courses that were used on the PGA Tour in 2018, the only TPC course harder to get it into the fairway was TPC Summerlin. In our ranking we consider hitting greens our most important stat, last year the course ranked 32nd in greens in regulation, but over the course of the last ten years all of the winners have been in the top-ten in greens hit Last year’s winner Gary Woodland was 8th in driving distance, T-19th in Driving accuracy and 8th in Greens in Regulation. Now add this all together, and he was 2nd in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green. Going a year back, winner Hideki was 18th in driving distance, T-6th in driving accuracy and T-2nd in greens in regulation, finishing 1st in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green. The year before 2016, Matsuyama also won and was 35th in driving distance, T-44th in driving accuracy and 1st in greens hit. This added up to 1st in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green so you can see the importance in this stat since the last three winners have been either 1st or 2nd.
So our first category is proximity to the hole, which Woodland was 13th last year. In 2017 the winner Matsuyama was his average shot finished 31 feet, 1 inch away.
Our second category is Strokes Gained tee-to-green which is crucial for not only keeping the ball in the fairways but hitting greens and getting it close to the hole. Last year’s winner Woodland was 8th in driving distance, 19th in driving average and 4th in green in regulation, so for the total Strokes Gained tee-to-green Woodland was 13th. In 2017 Matsuyama was 1st in Strokes Gained tee-to-Greens as we said in this story.
After that our third important category is Par Breakers because making eagles and birdies is important. Last year Woodland was the best in the field in this stat as he made 1 eagle and his 26 birdies were the best of the week. The previous year Matsuyama was 12th in this stat as he had 19 birdies and an eagle.
Our last category is scrambling, and you can see why. Since the course is a shot-makers delight, you can see that if you miss a lot of greens, you better get it up and down to play well. Last year TPC Scottsdale ranked 32nd, while last year in winner Woodland was 25th. The previous year Matsuyama was 17th in scrambling.
So you can see that this isn’t a bombers course since accuracy is such a key. Another important thing, most of the time the weather is good, and the only problems stem from freezing mornings in which frost create delays. But in looking at this year’s forecast, frost won’t play a part but look for showers on Saturday and temperatures low for the week just getting into the 70s on Thursday and Sunday, while it will be in the mid-60s for the weekend. Wind won’t be a factor this year.
So here are our four choices for the most critical stats from players to do well at TPC Scottsdale:

*Proximity to hole: Hitting greens is important, last year TPC Scottsdale ranked 32nd, but in proximity to hole, which tells how close players get to the hole, TPC Scottsdale ranked 10th as the players averaged getting it 38 feet and 10 inches.

*Strokes gained tee-to-Greens: Important because it shows how TPC Scottsdale ranked T-23rd in this stat, meaning that a combination of driving distance, driving accuracy and greens hit is important

*Par Breakers: Desert courses always seem to give up a lot of birdies and eagles, last year TPC Scottsdale ranked 29th in that stat

*Scrambling: Of the 51 courses on tour in 2018, TPC Scottsdale got it up and down 58.89 of the time, meaning that it ranked 32nd. So it’s important for players to make sure to get it up and down on those holes that they miss the greens.

118 of the 132 Players from this year’s field with stats from this year and last:

Click any column title in the table header to sort columns.

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