Paulie’s Picks: 2026 WM Phoenix Open

This week, the PGA Tour heads to Arizona for the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, a fan-favorite venue each year. The crowd will be loud and boisterous, especially given the perfect weather forecast with nearly record-high temperatures. 

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Besides embracing the raucous environment, what does it take to succeed at TPC Scottsdale? Year in and year out, players who are elite ball-strikers – especially off the tee – are near the top of the leaderboard. Those players are able to be more aggressive and create more scoring opportunities on the three par 5s and drivable the 17th. The 18th hole is a perfect example, as elite drivers can send it over the water and bunkers and leave just 75 to 100 yards to the green, while other players will have to deal with both the water and sand a good 150 yards away. 

Let’s take a look at three elite ball-strikers to target this week:

Si Woo Kim: Top 30, -144

Si Woo Kim led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green at the Farmers Insurance Open en route to a runner-up finish. How well Kim is playing is lost in the shuffle because of Justin Rose’s elite performance. This was Si Woo’s 10th consecutive finish of 21st or better! He is firing on all cylinders both off the tee and on approach, which suits perfectly for TPC Scottsdale where he has finished 26th or better in each of the last four years.

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Pierceson  Coody: Top 40, -110

Pierceson Coody is still an unknown to many golf fans even though he is a top 50 player in the world. He is an elite driver of the ball and led the field at Torrey Pines last week in Strokes Gained: Off the tee. He has finished in the top 20 in all three events in 2026. This may be one of the last times this year we can get a top 40 price this cheap for him.

Johnny Keefer: Top 40, +128

Johnny Keefer dominated on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025 and has a lot of upside in 2026. His best skill is his driving, as seen last week at Torrey Pines when he ranked third in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. Keefer has made the cut in all three events in 2026 and now gets his best course fit as his best skillset (overall driving) is heavily rewarded here. This seems like a great buy spot on Keefer before he becomes a household name.