WM Phoenix Open Preview

Bubba Watson and Jonathan Spieth, the Bookie's joint favourites this week at 14/1 for the Waste Management Phoenix Open, not only face a longer course that can now stretch to 7 266 yards, has 200 new tress and several new greens and bunkers, but unusually for arid Arizona, they are going to have to carry water-proof apparel and umbrellas.

That is if Golfweather.com's forecast is correct - as it so often is.

Yes, believe it or not, the prediction is for TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course to be wet on two of the four days.

With a 60% chance of rain in the morning and a 30% chance in the afternoon, Friday could see rain for most of the day

Thursday, when the event tees off, is expected to be dry with a light breeze and so too is Sunday, but Saturday could also be wet with a 30% chance of rain.

This isn't good news for the tour's fair-weather golfers and worse still for some of them. For example, on Friday, the morning golfers are expected to get a lot wetter than their afternoon rivals.

In this, his first start this year after a long spell on the side-lines, back from injury Tiger Woods, who grew up in sunny southern California, might be one who finds the rain a deterrent.

It certainly did in the 2002 British Open at Muirfield when heavy rain washed away his chances but couldn't stop Ernie Els from going on to win the first of his two Open Championships.

After his last-place finish in December in the late-season Hero World Challenge he hosts every year, feelings about Woods's chances are mixed. Pundits like the pgatour.com's Rob Bolton don't rate him among in their top 15 Scottsdale prospects, perhaps because he hasn't played this course in a long while and has played very little golf at all in the last six months.

The bookies, however, seem to see things differently.

Perhaps swayed by reports that Woods is happier about his body and his health than he has been for some time and that he has been working like a demon to hone his game, the Bookmakers have him in joint 6th place with Phil Mickelson, Hideki Matsuyama and last week's Humana Challenge winner Bill Haas at 25/1.

Along with the favourites, Watson and Spieth, others being offered at better odds than Tiger include Matt Kuchar at 18/1, Rickie Fowler at 22/1 and Patrick Reed at 22/1.

There are some who believe that the altered course and the rain is going to level the playing field to some extend and create a fair amount of uncertainty and perhaps even open the way for one of lesser lights of the tour who have still to hit the headlines in the way that young guns like Reed and Spieth did last year.

I'm not one of them. I believe that the winner is going to emerge from the favoured few and some of the favoured few I like most are Spieth, Reed and Kuchar.

The always rowdy WM Phoenix Open, often referred to as "The Greatest Show on Turf", is something new to Spieth, but this exciting young gun who has shown that he has the BMT to get better as the crowds get bigger and noisier, comes into this event fresh from a tie for third in Japan and wins in the Australian Open and the Hero World Challenge in December.

Reed won 2015's opening Tour event, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and although he only tied for 24th at the Humana Challenge last week, the apparent iron in his sole could put him back among this week's front-runners.

And Kuchar? He hasn't won yet this year, but he's had a pretty good start. He tied for third at Waialae two weeks ago, finished second in the Humana Challenge last week after leading at the halfway stage and will want to make up for his disappointing final round fade with a win at TPC Scottsdale. Better still, there's a feeling his skills will suit the course renovations.

Other form players who can't be ignored this week are Japan's Hideki Matsuyama who tied for third at Kapalua three weeks ago and finished in joint 4th place in his debut here last year, and veteran Phil Mickelson who has always loved playing in the WM Phoenix Open for which he is the all-time money winner.

Last week the veteran left hander furnished in the top 20 in fairways found and greens hit in regulation and looked in good nick in his first start of the year.

And Watson, who shares top spot on the bookmakers list with Spieth?

As one of golf's biggest hitters, he should thrive on the increased length of the still par-71 Stadium Course where he lost out by just one shot last year and while he has yet to win this year, he will be teeing off on Thursday with six consecutive Top 25s and the ability to win at any time.

TUESDAY MORNING'S TOP ODDS

Bubba Watson (US)        14/1      
Jordan Spieth (US)          14/1      
Matt Kuchar (US)             18/1      
Rickie Fowler (US)           20/1      
Patrick Reed (US)             22/1
Tiger Woods (US)             25/1
Phil Mickelson (US)         25/1      
Hideki Matsuyama (Jap) 25/1    
Bill Haas (US)                      25/1
Ryan Palmer (US)             30/1      
Brendan Steele (US)       40/1      
Gary Woodland (US)      33/1      
Harris English (UA)           40/1
Hunter Mahan (US)        45/1
Justin Thomas   (US)       50/1                      
Billy Horschel (US)           50/1

For any feedback or ideas you are welcome to email: neville@golfweather.com.