2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open Tournament Notes

image2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open pre-tournament notes
Dates: January 27-February 2, 2014
Where: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Courses: TPC Scottsdale (Par/Yards: 71/7,216)
Field size: 132
2013 champion: Phil Mickelson
Purse: $6,200,000 ($1,116,000/winner)
FedExCup: 500 points to the winner
Format: 72-hole stroke play
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WMPhoenixOpen
Twitter: @WMPhoenixOpen

How Phil Mickelson won the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open

  • Making his 24th start at the Waste Management Phoenix Open last year, Phil Mickelson posted an opening round, 11-under 60, equaling both his career-low round on the PGA TOUR and the lowest score in Waste Management Phoenix Open history (his own second-round 60 en route to winning in 2005, Mark Calcavecchia/2001, Grant Waite/1996).
  • Mickelson’s four-stroke lead at day’s end was the largest first-round lead in event history. Ensuing rounds of 65-64-67 made Mickelson too tough to catch. With the win, his third at TPC Scottsdale, he joined Steve Jones (1977) as the second wire-to-wire winner of the event since 1970.
  • Phil Mickelson at the Waste Management Phoenix Open
    • In 24 Waste Management Phoenix Open starts, dating to 1989,Mickelson has collected three wins (1996, 2005 and 2013), 10 top-10s and missed just five cuts (1989, 1992, 2001, 2007 and 2009).
    • Through 86 rounds at TPC Scottsdale, Mickelson is 66/86 at par-or-better and 58/66 for sub-par rounds.
    • Mickelson tied his lowest score at the event (60) in round one last year. His highest score at TPC Scottsdale is a 9-over 80 in the final round of 1999 (finished 61st).
    • Mickelson won the Waste Management Phoenix Open in 1996, 2005 and 2013. In 1996, he never held a lead/co-lead after any of the first three rounds. In 2005, he overcame an opening-round, 2-over 73 with a
      60 in round two and was T1 at day’s end. After the third round, he led by four strokes.
    • Last year, Mickelson played the par-3s in 9-under par, the par-4s in 10-under par and the par-5s in 9-under par.
    • Mickelson’s average winning margin of victory in his three wins at the Waste Management Phoenix Open is 3.667 strokes (5 strokes/1996, Playoff/2006, 6 strokes/2013)
    • Since 1989, Mickelson has played in the event each year, with the exception of 1990.A look at the field
    • Thirteen of the 30 players who made it to the 2013 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola are scheduled to compete in the Waste Management Phoenix Open: Keegan Bradley, Roberto Castro, Brendon de Jonge, Graham DeLaet, Bill Haas, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, D.A. Points, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Streelman, Nick Watney and Gary Woodland.
    • Nineteen of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, following the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation: Phil Mickelson (4), Ian Poulter (12), Brandt Snedeker (14),
      Webb Simpson (19), Keegan Bradley (22), Hideki Matsuyama (24), Lee Westwood (26), Bubba Watson (30), Ryan Moore (33), Nick Watney (34, Hunter Mahan (35), Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (36), Kevin Streelman (38), Graham DeLaet (39), Patrick Reed (41), Martin kaymer (44), Harris English (46), Jonas Blixt (48) and Chris Kirk (49).
    • Two of the last three FedExCup champions are in the Farmers Insurance Open field (Brandt
      Snedeker/2012 and Bill Haas/2011).
    • 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson is poised to make his second start on TOUR since the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in November. It will also be his eighth consecutive start at TPC
      Scottsdale, dating to 2007. In 26 previous rounds, he has never posted an over-par score. In his first start of 2007, he finished T8. In 2012, he improved on that with T5 honors.
    • Like Watson, last year’s runner-up Brandt Snedeker will be making his eighth consecutive start in the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He has three top 10s in his previous seven starts: 2007/T23, 2008/T9, 2009/MC, 2010/T43, 2011/T8, 2012/T50, 2013/2.
    • Lee Westwood will make his first start at TPC Scottsdale.
    • Patrick Reed, winner of the 2013 Wyndham Championship in a playoff over Jordan Spieth and the Humana Challenge two weeks ago, will also be making his first start at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
    • 2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open champion Hunter Mahan is making his second start of the 2013-14 PGA TOUR Season. Prior to last week’s Farmers Insurance Open, he had not played a TOUR event since the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola in September.
    • 2006 and 2008 Waste Management Phoenix Open champion J.B. Holmes will make his second TOUR start since the 2013 Honda Classic. Holmes began the season with 19 events to earn $580,299 on a Major Medical Extension in 2013-14. Before last week’s Farmers Insurance Open (T23), Holmes hadn’t played since fracturing his left ankle March 9 while rollerblading with his wife. He finished 31st in the Japan Golf Tour’s Dunlop Phoenix in November in his only worldwide start since the Honda Classic. Holmes missed time in 2011 after having brain surgery in September 2011 to correct structural defects in his cerebellum that had been giving him vertigo-like symptoms.
    • Six of the last seven PGA TOUR Rookies of the Year are in the field: John Huh (2012), Keegan Bradley (2011), Rickie Fowler (2010), Marc Leishman (2009), Andres Romero (2008), Brandt Snedeker (2007).
    • Past champions in the field: Phil Mickelson (2013, 2005, 1996), Kyle Stanley (2012), Mark Wilson (2011), Hunter Mahan (2010), Kenny Perry (2009), J.B. Holmes (2008, 2006), Vijay Singh (2003, 1995), Mark
      Calcavecchia (2001, 1992, 1989).
    • Players in the field with seven or more PGA TOUR wins: Phil Mickelson (41), Vijay Singh (34 wins), Kenny Perry (14 wins), Mark Calcavecchia (13 wins), David Toms (13 wins), Justin Leonard (12 wins),
      K.J. Choi (8 wins), Mike Weir (8 wins), Fred Funk (8 wins), Retief Goosen (7 wins) and Geoff Ogilvy (7 wins).
    • Four of the five players who shared runner-up honors at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open; K.J. Choi, Graham DeLaet, Marc Leishman and Pat Perez.Tournament notes
    • Since 2000, only five players have followed a win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open with another victory the same year. The most recent was Phil Mickelson last year, who won The Open Championship
      after his win in Scottsdale. The others: Kenny Perry (2009); Mickelson (2005); and Vijay Singh (2003).
    • Since 2000, the only players to have made their Waste Management Phoenix Open win their career first were Kyle Stanley (2012), J.B. Holmes (2006) and Jonathan Kaye (2004).
    • Since 1980, the only two players have won the Waste Management Phoenix Open in a first attempt: Jeff Mitchell (1980) and Kyle Stanley (2012).

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