Yardbarker
Look of the Day for Friday, Feb. 9: A golf winner to cap the week
Emiliano Grillo shot an even-par 71 in the first round of the tournament, but that doesn't tell the full story. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Look of the Day for Friday, Feb. 9: A golf winner to cap the week

Tyrese Haliburton decided to have his worst scoring game of the season when he jumped on him for an over, so we dropped to 2-2 on the week in our Look of the Day series. We've got one last chance to secure a profitable week, so let's do just that with our favorite bet for Friday's slate.

Look of the Day: WM Phoenix Open Round 2 matchup - Emiliano Grillo > Brian Harman (-105 ESPN BET)

The rain-soaked WM Phoenix Open didn't make it through the first round on Thursday, so we have Round 2 matchups available for whenever the tournament gets back underway. After looking through some Round 1 stats, we found an 18-hole matchup we really like.

Emiliano Grillo shot an even-par 71 in the first round of the tournament, but that doesn't tell the full story. The Argentinian ranked third in the field in strokes gained: approach and fifth in strokes gained: tee to green. All that means is he was hitting the ball really well in the first round, but he didn't end up with a great score because he lost 1.89 strokes putting.  

Brian Harman was the complete opposite. The reigning Open champion also shot an even-par 71, but he was eighth-worst in the field in SG: approach. He saved his round by gaining 1.82 strokes on the green, but that's not a sustainable way to play TPC Scottsdale. 

Approach play is much more predictive of success than putting, which is the most volatile skill on the PGA Tour. Grillo is coming off three straight top-20 finishes, and he gained strokes putting in all three. We're expecting his flatstick to bounce back in the second round.

More must-reads:

Sign up for the Bark Bets Newsletter

Bark Bets is Yardbarker's free daily guide to the world of sports betting. You'll get:

  • Picks and predictions from our in-house experts
  • The last-minute updates that give you an edge
  • Special offers from Sportsbooks

Subscribe now!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.