The Waste Management Open at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona just down from where Super Bowl XLIX (49) will be played at the University of Phoenix Stadium, has an elite field entered. Should be an electric weekend in the Phoenix-Scottsdale metro area. The 16th hole has the arena-like stadium atmosphere and features 20,000 or more raucous, super excited fans cheering on every tee shot on the sometimes 162 yard Par 3 (can be anywhere from 115 to 180 depending on the pin location). Excellent course that should yield some good  scores, but a good test of golf too. Kevin Stadler won last year at -16. TPC Scottsdale is 7,216 yards and a Par 71. Exciting field with the return of Eldrick with  new front enamel, Phil, young studs Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, and some cagey veterans in Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and many others competing on the greatest show on turf.
My pick this week is Spieth. He won in Australia at the Australian Open in last November and then he won again at the Hero World Challenge in Florida in December. Like where his game’s at. He’s an incredibly accurate d player with both his driver and his irons, he ‘s stellar in the short game, and he’s a phenomenal putter when he’s got the flat stick going. He’s got that mental toughness that Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, Trevino, Faldo, Seve and Eldrick had. Eldrick may get it back, he may not. That’s the Major question right now. This could give us an idea about where his game is heading this season.

But there are other story lines. Will Phil get a major this year? Will Rickie Fowler get over the hump and bag a major after getting four top 10’s in all four majors last year? What about the young up and comers like Spieth, Reed, Russell Henley and other guys? Can they win a consistently and show some dominating ability and capture a major title? Justin Thomas from the University of Alabama  is already making his mark on the tour in his first year after a tie for seventh place last week at the Humana Challenge, a tournament in which he was tied for the lead until a double bogey on the 16th hole. and an excellent Sony tournament in Hawaii the week before where he finished tied for sixth. What about guys like Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker? Are they capable of winning a major? Now’s the time for those guys. Can Duf capture another major?  Certainly has the game. Can Adam Scott add a second major to his resume this season? This tournament has some of the top players in the world. Rory, of course, will be a huge factor when he starts playing in the U.S., particularly in the majors. He’s playing at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic this week in the United Arab Emirates, a big European tour event. He shot -6, 66, in the first round and is tied for sixth, two shots back of leader Bernd Wiesberger of Germany. Can Rory add a fifth major and capture the career grand slam at 25 years old with a win at Augusta, which would be his fifth major?  Rory will turn 26 May 4th and  is making a serious statement in the historically good golfers. Taking home a Green Jacket will only continue that legacy for the premier player in the world right now without a doubt.  If he can win at Augusta, which is as far from a given as any professional player can get with the competition that is  in that spectacular tournament, he sets himself up for opportunities at the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in Washington state, the Open Championship at St. Andrews, and the PGA at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, where Dustin Johnson had the unfortunate luck of being penalized for grounding his club in the sand in what didn’t look like much of a sand trap. Johnson didn’t make that playoff in 2010 due to the two shot penalty incurred from the sand and Martin Kaymer took home the Wanamker Trophy with a playoff victory over Bubba. Guys like Bubba and Kaymer will be going for their third majors. Bubba is in the field this week. Bubba is so good at Augusta he has a shot at his third major right there in April. Kaymer can really go off when he’s hot and he’s got the perfect temperament for the game. So under control with his emotions and can really play. And if Eldrick captures a major this season–and he likes Augusta of course where he’s won four times (1997,2001, 2002 and 2005), and St. Andrews where he won in 2000 and 2005, it will get interesting again with his pursuit of Jack’s record 18 major titles. Tiger would be at 15 if he gets one this year, and with those two courses he might get 15 and 16. But you wonder where his game is right now. And the competition is stiffer than it ever has been for him, so he has work cut out for him as far as winning any major or winning period, particularly with all the injuries to his back and his knee that flared up all of last year and seem to be a problem for him.

But I like Spieth this week and I like Spieth to win a major this year. I might pick him at Augusta, but I will definitely have him winning one major this season. He’s so talented and he’s’s focused. Famous author, sportswriter and golf commentator John Feinstein said there are golfers today who are content making a good living playing golf and enjoying their families, which is perfectly fine, but there are some is an elite group that has another gear and wants to make history by winning major championships. I put Spieth and Patrick Reed in that group. I’m starting to see Russell Henley as a guy who might be in that group. Billy Horschel is a guy who could do it. You’ve got to put Tiger up there because all he cares about now is winning majors. Maybe an Arnie or a Memorial (Jack’s tourney) but he’s totally focused on majors. Phil still wants to win majors and there are some others who could emerge this year, both younger and more veteran guys. It’s a select brethren of players. I see Spieth as part of that coterie, a guy who wants to make history. And I like him to get there. I like him to get it done in this tournament on Super Bowl Sunday. Will have Super Bowl XLIX preview tomorrow.

Waste Management TV times:

Today and Friday: 3-7 PM ET/2-6 PM CT Golf Channel. Saturday and Sunday: 1-2:30 PM ET/12-1:30 PM CT on Golf. 3-6 PM ET/ 2-5 PM CT on CBS.