SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — TPC Scottsdale is a place where early momentum matters.

With firm desert conditions, reachable par 5s and the adrenaline of the Scottsdale crowd in the air, this annual showdown in the desert has all the makings of a Wild West shootout. With tons of buzz around the props for the 16th hole and the Winner Without Scottie Scheffler markets, we turn our eyes to some head-to-head offerings from the folks over at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Let's go one-vs-one with four matchups I’m targeting at the 2026 WM Phoenix Open.

Round 1: Nick Taylor (-120) over Wyndham Clark (-112)

Few players in this field are more comfortable getting out of the gates at TPC Scottsdale than Nick Taylor. When Taylor navigated his way to a playoff win in 2024, he opened the week with a blistering 60, immediately putting the field on notice.

That trend has continued into 2026. Taylor has started the year with solid finishes of T13 and T27, and his opening rounds have been particularly sharp. He opened with a 62 at the Sony Open and a 65 at The American Express, with both rounds matching or standing as his lowest score of the week.

Wyndham Clark, meanwhile, has shown flashes but struggled to finish tournaments cleanly. Clark briefly had us thinking he might be rounding back into his major-winning form with a surge up the leaderboard at The American Express, but a Sunday 72 took him out of contention. He followed that up at Torrey Pines with a T13 at the Farmers Insurance Open, before stumbling again with a final-round 76.

That pattern matters, and I expect some tinkering after those tough Sunday finishes, wagering on that kind of adjustment period bleeding into an opening round. Against a proven fast starter who loves this venue, I’m backing Taylor to win the Thursday matchup.

Round 1: Andrew Novak (-114) over Rico Hoey (-116)

Rico Hoey remains one of the most fascinating players on TOUR. Pegged during the offseason as a potential breakout candidate, Hoey possesses elite tee-to-green ability legitimately comparable to Scottie Scheffler, seriously.

Last season, Hoey ranked second on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, third in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, second in Total Driving and eighth in approach. The problem was the putter, where he ranked a staggering 180th. In response, Hoey switched to a broomstick in an effort to solve the issue.

So far in 2026, the results haven’t followed. Hoey has finished T50 and T70, with a withdrawal at The American Express in between. His putting remains below average, losing 0.76 strokes per round, and his ball striking has dipped significantly as well. There are only so many holes you can plug at once.

That’s why I’m fading him against the steadier hand of Andrew Novak. Novak is coming off a T7 at Torrey Pines, where he closed with seven birdies against one bogey for a Sunday 66. In a single-round matchup, give me the player trending in the right direction.

72-Hole Match: Rasmus Højgaard (-120) over Kurt Kitayama (-110)

I’m riding high with Rasmus Højgaard this week. The Dane hasn’t missed a cut to start his season and profiles well for TPC Scottsdale. He finished T12 here last year in his first appearance, ranking first in SG: Off the Tee and gaining more than five strokes on the field.

I expect an improvement on that performance, and love this showdown against a struggling Kurt Kitayama. Kitayama finished T49 here last year, opened the season with a respectable T40 at Waialae, then missed the cut at The American Express. He’s battling issues on the greens and hasn’t shown the elite ball striking that fueled earlier success in his career.

Over four rounds, Højgaard’s upside for near even odds is appealing.

72-Hole Match: Harry Hall (-128) over Keith Mitchell (-104)

Finally, we close with a battle of fashion icons, as Harry Hall takes on “Cashmere” Keith Mitchell.

Hall has started the season in excellent form, posting a T6 in Hawaii and a T24 at The American Express. He’s gaining half a stroke off the tee and a hefty 1.12 strokes with the putter, ranking 12th on TOUR. That combination plays anywhere.

Mitchell isn’t far off, highlighted by a T11 at Torrey Pines. He ranks fifth on TOUR in SG: Off the Tee, gaining a full stroke with the driver. That advantage, however, is nearly wiped out by his current putting woes, where he’s losing 0.88 strokes per round.

On a firmer desert layout, I’m siding with consistency. I’ll side with Hall over the more volatile Mitchell across 72 holes in the desert.