Steve Palmer's Phoenix Open final-day golf betting tips and predictions

Where to watch the Phoenix Open

Sky Sports Golf, 3.30pm Sunday

Best bets

Shane Lowry top European
3pts 8-5 bet365

Cameron Young top-five finish
2pts 13-8 BoyleSports

Story so far

Bad weather has blighted the PGA Tour over the last fortnight – and the Phoenix Open is running behind schedule – but 72 holes should be completed on Super Bowl Sunday.

Phoenix has suffered a little bit of everything this week, but it has not been as bad as last week's 54-hole Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and great weather is forecast for Sunday. With sunshine all day and temperatures set to climb to 16C at TPC Scottsdale, the event should reach a proper conclusion.

Nick Taylor leads by a shot at 13 under par, having completed six holes of his third round before darkness descended on Saturday evening, but the Canadian will return for a knee-knocker for par at the seventh from five feet, ten inches.

Taylor, who was runner-up in last year's Phoenix Open, is 9-2 to go one better this year. Sahith Theegala, who was third in the 2022 edition when a PGA Tour rookie, is one shot behind Taylor and 7-2 favourite. Play is set to resume at 7.30am local time – 2.30pm UK and Ireland.

Phoenix Open leaderboard

-13 Nick Taylor (through 42 holes)
-12 Sahith Theegala (42)
-11 Doug Ghim (43), Andrew Novak (42)
-10 Jordan Spieth (45)-9 Harris English (51), Davis Thompson (46), Charley Hoffman (45), Cameron Young (45)
-8 Billy Horschel (50), Wyndham Clark (48), Jake Knapp (46), Si Woo Kim (46), Sam Burns (45), Kurt Kitayama (45), Justin Thomas (44), Maverick McNealy (43), Scottie Scheffler (43)

Best odds for the Phoenix Open

7-2 S Theegala, 9-2 N Taylor, 5 J Spieth, 11-2 S Scheffler, 12 J Thomas, 14 D Ghim, C Young, 20 S Burns, 25 A Novak, W Clark, 35 S W Kim, 40 K Kitayama, 50 bar

Phoenix Open final-round predictions

A marathon Sunday lies in store at the Stadium Course, TPC Scottsdale, and at least 20 players will still feel they have serious title aspirations.

Nick Taylor faces a tricky putt on his return, while Sahith Theegala will probably two-putt for par from 38 feet on the same hole. Doug Ghim and Andrew Novak are unlikely to advance their score when they return to compete the hole they are on, so punters have every right to be concentrating on the big names lurking just off the pace.

Theegala obviously merits great respect – he has become a PGA Tour champion since his near-miss at TPC Scottsdale two years ago – but it seems likely the youngster will have to repel some top-class talent. Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay pipped Theegala by a shot in 2022 – and this time the swashbuckling Californian has Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns and Justin Thomas on his tail.

Given the quality of the chasing pack – and how much golf is left to be played – the 7-2 Theegala can be resisted. In fact, there is little urge to get further involved in the outright market, with Racing Post Sport's two pre-tournament each-way recommendations still well in the hunt. Scheffler and Wyndham Clark are both eight under par and will return to the course looking to pick up shots immediately.

Scheffler has a birdie putt upcoming from 12 feet, ten inches at the eighth, while Clark is looking to get up and down from 35 yards for birdie from the rough to the left of the par-five 13th. Any success would mean nine under par and a place in the thick of things.

Spieth and Thomas relish this layout, Burns has a birdie putt waiting from 15 feet at the tenth, while Young's tee-to-green class means he should contend throughout. Scheffler may have everyone's measure come the 72nd hole, but the Phoenix Open should serve up a long, tight, thrilling prelude to the Super Bowl for sports fans.

Punters seeking additional investments should consider Shane Lowry for top European. It is surprising that the Irishman has not assumed favouritism in this market and 8-5 looks full of juice. Matt Fitzpatrick will return to the course to play his second shot to the par-four 11th hole from 165 yards from the right rough, then he will face the difficult par-three 12th.

Lowry, who is already one shot ahead of Fitzpatrick, has completed the difficult holes in round three and can enjoy himself to the clubhouse on the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th.

Young can be backed at 13-8 for a top-five finish, which seems generous considering he is tied for sixth place. Young's length and tee-to-green solidity means he should make progress on a soft, receptive Stadium Course over his remaining 27 holes.

Click for free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.