Best Phoenix Open Golf One and Done Picks (2026)

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from PoolGenius, whose subscribers have reported more than $10 million in pool winnings across all sports using their tools.

Phoenix Open One and Done picks take center stage this week as the PGA Tour heads to Scottsdale for one of the most recognizable early stops of the season.

Also, keep in mind that after this event, we enter a two-week stretch in which the top names all appear together in high-purse tournaments. Plan accordingly.

We’ll discuss how that shapes the One and Done pick strategy this week.

Phoenix Open One and Done Picks Strategy: Purse Info

The Phoenix Open has a total purse of $9.6 million, with $1.66 million going to the first-place winner.

That puts this event firmly in the second tier for prize money. There are still plenty of bigger leverage spots ahead:

• 15 tournaments remaining in a higher purse tier
• 6 tournaments remaining with a higher first prize, but in same purse tier

In Golf One and Done pools, that is the whole game. You are not only picking a golfer you think can win this week. You are deciding which golfer you are willing to give up for the rest of the season.

Start Here When Making Your Phoenix Open Pick

Scottie Scheffler will be the story this week. 

He is the best player in the world, won his last start, and has won twice here in the last four years. He also takes up a massive chunk of the win equity when looking at the odds.

That creates a fork in the road: 

1. Use Scheffler. If you use him, you are embracing the safest win profile in the field, but you are spending your most valuable season-long asset at a second-tier purse event, right before a stretch where you may want him even more.
   
2. Fade Scheffler. If you fade him, you are accepting more volatility, but you are also protecting future value, which is often the sharper move in many pool formats.

We are recommending the second strategy: fade Scheffler. You are looking for a golfer whose win equity is still meaningful but whose season-long opportunity cost is lower than Scheffler’s.

Finding the Next Best Phoenix Open One and Done Pick 

Here is the part most advice gets wrong.

There is no single best Phoenix Open One and Done pick without knowing your pool details. 

Pool size, payout structure, scoring, how many events you pick, who you have already used, where you sit in the standings, segment prizes, and whether you are managing multiple entries can all change what the best pick actually is.

Two people can look at the same odds board and both be right for their pool while picking completely different golfers.

That is why generic advice is risky for One and Done pools. When the field is strong and the event is high-profile, it is easy to burn a golfer you will want later, and you often do not realize it until the schedule tightens.

How to Know the Top Pick for Your Specific Pool

Most players start and end with win odds. But One and Done is not a betting card. It is an asset management game.

You need to weigh win equity this week, future value at higher purse events, how top-heavy payouts are, projected pick popularity, and your actual situation, including used golfers and standings. 

That is exactly what the PoolGenius Golf One and Done Picks Tool is built for. 

Enter your pool settings and used golfers, and it generates weekly pick grades based on your context, plus a season planner that shows the downstream impact of using a golfer now versus saving him for later. 

You also get projected pick popularity, so you can see when a good pick turns into a landmine because half your pool is about to make the same selection.

If you want to see where the Phoenix Open purse ranks in your specific pool format, set up your entry in the tool and get a customized view. 

Try it out for free. No credit card required. 

Here’s an example from last season of how the dashboard looks while calculating a pick grade based on your pool, scoring, and previously used golfers:

Get Your Golf One and Done Cheat Sheet Now

PoolGenius is designed to make Golf One and Done pools simpler, faster, and more structured.

You get weekly pick grades, a season planner that shows who to use when, tools to manage multiple entries, and a dashboard of stats that keeps your decision process organized. 

You’ll make smarter picks, plan better, and spend less time doing it with all the decision-making tools in one place.

Grab your free trial today. No credit card required.

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Pictured: Maverick McNealy
Photo Credit: Imagn