The Power Fade: 2025 WM Phoenix Open
The Approach for Key fades at the 2025 WM Phoenix Open
What’s going on TJ Nation! Ann Arbor's Own Good Ol' AK Allen Klutts here bringing you another edition of the Power Fade: The Fades 8K and Above You Need to Smash Your DraftKings GPP's!
Well fam, we got Rory'd last week. With a man among boys performance on the Northern California Coast, Rory McIlory overcame an appearance in the PF and took down another legendary course in his stellar career.
Be that as it may, we move to the Arizona desert and the "People's Open". TPC Scottsdale plays host to the PGA TOUR, and the raucous, rowdy fans will be sure to create memories that will last a lifetime.
While the beers and spirits will be flowing, a golf tournament is being played. A Par 71 that plays just a shade under 7,300 yards, TPC Scottsdale offers an exciting stretch of holes from 13 to 18 that gives the player ample chances to go low. With weather conditions looking to be ripe for scoring, we should see a winning score hover between -18 to -20.
As we look to bounce back from picking a winner last week in the PF, let's take a look at who our Power Fades are for the WM Phoenix Open!
Sepp Straka ($9,400)
Our first Power Fade of the week is a man who has been lighting it up, and for many of us cashed a 60/1 outright bet a few weeks ago. But Golf DFS is a week to week game, and in Phoenix its time to hop off of Sepp Straka at $9,400 on DraftKings.
Why The Fade Works:
Sepp has been on a hell of run thru the West Coast Swing. There is no denying his run thru Palm Springs and the first 54 holes at Pebble were a thing of beauty. However we may have seen the peak of Straka's ability now clashing with his rising popularity.
Statistically speaking, Sepp does have challenges that can lead to struggles around TPC Scottsdale.
Par 4 Scoring will be at a premium this week, at Sepp has struggled in this area. Ranking 99th in Par 4 Scoring (400-450 Yards) is very troubling. Furthermore, Sepp hasn't excelled off the tee outside of this run of incredible form. Currently ranking 82nd in SG OTT is not something I would want to get behind at this price tag.
Sepp's irons have been nuclear hot during this stretch, but sustaining this will be a challenge. Over the course of his long term baseline, Sepp is a break even player with his irons. Straka has been gaining on average over 3 strokes with his irons per event during the West Coast Swing. A return to the baseline is immanent, and I believe at a course where he has poor course history is the time to sell high on Austria's awesome export.
Nick Taylor ($8,400)
Our second Power Fade of the week is our defending champion. While Nick Taylor can get nuclear hot like he did to win the Sony Open a few weeks ago and the WM last year, he did it at much lower price tags
Why The Fade Works:
Nick Taylor is a certified dawg, no question about it. Statistically however, he does show some warts that prove he does need to nuclear hot to win.
Taylor comes into the WM ranking 82nd in Bogey Avoidance. While you can score on TPC Scottsdale, big numbers do await for mistakes.
Interestingly, Taylor also ranks 66th in SG OTT. This also is a contributing factor to Nick's rather mediocre 65th in SG Par 5's.
When Taylor won last year, he also had a NUCLEAR putting performance gaining over 9 strokes putting. In 2025, Nick's putter has been very streaky, and with some projected ownership incoming for the defending champ, I think it makes for a wise fade of the Canadian.
That's it folks for this week's edition of the Power Fade! We will return to you next week as we make a return to Torrey Pines for the Genesis Invitational.
Follow me on X @AllenKlutts and on Instagram @Allen_Klutts906
Until Next Time.... Be Bold, Be Brave, and Let's Ride the Power Fade!
"Sepp's irons have been nuclear hot during this stretch, but sustaining this will be a challenge. Over the course of his long term baseline, Sepp is a break even player with his irons. Straka has been gaining on average over 3 strokes with his irons per event during the West Coast Swing. A return to the baseline is immanent, and I believe at a course where he has poor course history is the time to sell high on Austria's awesome export."
— AK
Meet the Author:
Allen Klutts
A long time Tour Junkies fan and Nut Hut Member, Allen has always been an enthusiastic PGA DFS player and is looking to bring that passion to his writing. A frequent participant on the Wednesday Night Live Stage Chat, who DB once compared to Norm from the TV show "Cheers" for always kicking off the live stage segment, Allen lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife and two year old son.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and commentary in this post belong to its author and do not necessarily represent the Tour Junkies as a whole.