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Phoenix Open: Five Groups to Watch on Thursday and Friday

By Tim Letcher

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 10: Xander Schauffele of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walk during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on November 10, 2020 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 10: Xander Schauffele of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walk during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on November 10, 2020 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The PGA Tour stops at TPC Scottsdale for the Waste Management Phoenix Open this week with a very strong field teeing off on Thursday. Four of the world’s top six players will be in action in Phoenix this week. Here are the top five pairings for the event’s first two rounds, which will take place on Thursday and Friday.

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Harris English, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas (2:10 p.m. ET; 9:50 a.m. ET) – How about starting with the world’s number two player, Rahm, and the world’s number three, Thomas, in the same group? That’s solid, indeed. Rahm has a T2 and three T7s in his last four starts. Thomas has finished T2, 3 and 4 already this season. English is the one player in this group with a win this season.

Hideki Matsuyama, Webb Simpson, Gary Woodland (2:20 p.m. ET; 10:00 a.m. ET) – Matsuyama has won twice at TPC Scottsdale and is always a threat to win anytime he tees it up. Simpson, the world’s ninth-ranked player, is also the defending champion in Phoenix. Woodland is also a past winner here, claiming the title in 2018.

Rickie Fowler, Si Woo Kim, Brooks Koepka (9:50 ET; 2:10 p.m. ET) – Fowler has a win and two seconds at TPC Scottsdale and is looking to get his game moving in the right direction. Kim was a winner at the American Express two weeks ago. Koepka is a four-time major winner, but he has missed three consecutive cuts.

Daniel Berger, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele (10:00 ET; 2:20 p.m. ET) – Berger had a pair of Top 10s in Hawaii to start the calendar year. He’s ranked 13th in the OWGR. McIlroy is the sixth-ranked player in the world and was third on the European Tour two weeks ago. Schauffele, who is ranked fourth in the world, tied for second last week at Torrey Pines.

Sungjae Im, Russell Knox, Ryan Palmer (9:50 ET; 2:10 p.m. ET) – Im has a pair of top five finishes already this season and at age 22, is one of the rising stars of the game. Palmer, who is twice Im’s age, has three top fives already this season, including a T2 last week at Torrey Pines. Knox has four Top 25 finishes so far this season.

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A big name player has won this event each of the past six years (Koepka, Matsuyama twice, Woodland, Fowler and Simpson). Look for that same scenario again this week, with the winner likely coming from one of these groups.

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