We hit a winner, folks! Chris Gotterup took advantage of Hideki Matsuyama's unravelling at the Phoenix Open to cash a +4000 ticket and a +3000 bet on the outright market that didn't include tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler.
We're still riding high, but it's time to turn the page to the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the first signature event of the season. Rory McIlroy, the defending champion at the iconic oceanside venue, is making his PGA TOUR season debut after teeing it up twice on the DP World Tour in January. He's expected to be Scheffler's stiffest competition, according to the betting odds. Scheffler is the overwhelming favorite to win at +325 on theScore Bet, with McIlroy sitting next on the oddsboard at +1400.
Let's jump to our four players to watch - and bet on - for this week's no-cut event.
⛳️ Check out all of the markets available for the WM Phoenix Open on theScore Bet here
Matthew Fitzpatrick
🏌️ Bet: To win outright (+3500), top-10 finish (+275)
I'm going to bypass the favorites - Scheffler, McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele - and open the betting card with Fitzpatrick at +3500.
The Englishman knocked off the offseason rust at The American Express then came in ninth at the Phoenix Open, thanks to some stellar tee-to-green numbers. He was seventh in the field in strokes gained: off the tee, 10th in approach, and 11th around the green. Had Fitzpatrick not lost 1.5 strokes putting for the week, he would've been firmly in contention with Gotterup and Matsuyama late Sunday.
Now, Fitzpatrick gets to play two courses (Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill) that suit his game perfectly. He finished T6 at the event in 2022 and placed T12 at the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. I believe the former major winner can go toe to toe with Scheffler or McIlroy at a signature event.
Sepp Straka
🏌️ Bet: To win outright (+5000), top-20 finish (+190)
Despite being a four-time PGA TOUR winner and a two-time member of the European Ryder Cup team, Straka has fallen down the oddsboard after a few subpar tournaments. That means it's a great time to buy.
Like Fitzpatrick, Straka was rusty at The American Express but rebounded nicely at TPC Scottsdale. He was eighth in the field in strokes gained: tee-to-green yet couldn't get any putts to drop. Although the bumpy poa greens at Pebble Beach aren't his preferred surface, he's historically a field-average putter on poa, which may be all he needs to win.
The Austrian won a signature event last year at a wedge-heavy Philadelphia Cricket Club. If his recent ball-striking carries over to Pebble Beach, Straka should be firmly in the mix Sunday.
Shane Lowry
🏌️ Bet: To win outright (+5000), top-20 finish (+200)
If Straka is a good course fit, then Lowry has to be as well. The Irishman has been a runner-up in two of Straka's four TOUR victories, largely because of their similar styles. Both players are extremely accurate driving the ball and elite with a wedge in their hands.
Lowry placed second to McIlroy at this tournament last year and has T14 and T21 showings in his six career appearances at the event. He played twice on the DP World Tour to start 2026 and would've won his first start in Dubai had it not been for a costly water ball on his final hole leading to a double-bogey. Still, he's clearly in great form, and his game is tailored for venues like Pebble.
Daniel Berger
🏌️ Bet: To win outright (+6000), top-20 finish (+190)
Berger began his season by placing T6 at the Sony Open, where he gained nearly five strokes in ball-striking (off the tee and approach). He then finished T16 in Phoenix and was 11th in the field in strokes gained: tee to green. The American is rounding into form after struggling to find his game for the majority of last season.
Perhaps most importantly, Berger is a former winner of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Before claiming victory in 2021, he tied for fifth in 2020 and tied for 10th during his first appearance in 2015. Like Straka and Lowry, Berger is accurate and fantastic at hitting short approach shots.
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