In his first official PGA Tournament in 10 months, Tiger Woods shot -3 under at last week's Farmers Insurance Open, finishing 12 spots higher than Canada's Adam Hadwin, 44 better than Ben Silverman and 52 ahead of Nick Taylor, with Canada's other entrant, Mackenzie Hughes, missing the cut. That quartet doesn't have to contend with Woods at this week's Phoenix Open, but the fact that he's back changes a lot in their sport.
"I'm a very curious spectator when he's playing," Hughes told The Score. "It's just fun to see him back out there, and it was cool to see him have some great form. To play as well as he did, with the time he's had off ... is incredible. I don't think anyone else on the planet can do what he does."
In his second year on Tour, Hughes will try to make the cut for the first time this season at the Phoenix Open, which kicks off Thursday and includes his three countrymen, as well as Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth. Two-time defending champion Hideki Matsuyamma is back to see if he can three-peat.
The first two days of competition will be available for streaming on DAZN.
| DATE | DAY | START TIME (EST) | STREAMING |
| 2/1/2018 | Thursday | 9:15 a.m. | DAZN Canada |
| 2/2/2018 | Friday | 9:15 a.m. | DAZN Canada |
| 2/3/2018 | Saturday | 11:30 a.m. | Golf Channel |
| 2/3/2018 | Saturday | 3:30 p.m. | PGATOURLIVE.COM |
| 2/4/2018 | Sunday | 11:30 a.m. | Golf Channel |
| 2/4/2018 | Sunday | 2:30 p.m. | PGATOURLIVE.COM |
The par-3 16th at TPC Scottsdale is famous because of the amphitheater stadium built around it, filled with thousands of booing or cheering fans.
The https://t.co/15lXvPiAYt Pro-Am kicks off the first day of #thepeoplesopen! #WMPO #RESPECT #greenestshow pic.twitter.com/ntmF0XnDEN
— WM Phoenix Open (@WMPhoenixOpen) January 29, 2018
The Course
TPC Scottsdale, a 7,261-yard par 71, provides a powerful atmosphere that players either love or hate. Loud cheers and jeers vibrate off the par-3 16th amphitheater throughout the entire course, letting players know what awaits them ahead.
Birdies are easy to find, but treacherous holes await players struggling tee-to-green.
The Favorites
This star-studded field is led by Matsuyama, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, who has two top-4 finishes in his last two trips to Phoenix. The three young stars should help keep eyes on golf this weekend despite the Super Bowl garnering most of the sports world's attention.
Alex Noren, Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed are also in the field. Noren lost in a playoff Monday morning to Jason Day at the Farmers Insurance Open, while Rahm already has a win and a runner-up finish this year. Reed is still looking to kick-start his season.
Sleepers
Tony Finau, now ranked 37th in the world, is a serious contender for a Ryder Cup berth this year. He's already racked up four top-16 finishes this season, including a t6 last week.
Daniel Berger, Simpson and Kyle Stanley are also names to watch. Stanley returned to the winner's circle last year, and he has two top 10s in his last four starts.
Horse for the Course
Matsuyama by a large margin is the favorite to win this week. Not only has he won the last two editions, he hasn't finished outside the top 4 since 2013. Matsuyama is powerful off the tee and creative around the greens. He has everything figured out TPC Scottsdale and should contend again.
Sporting News' Alec Brzezinski contributed to the reporting shown in this article.