February features deep, talented fields in WM Phoenix Open, The Genesis Invitational, The Honda Classic

After an unforgettable start to the 2023 calendar year, the PGA TOUR goes from strength to strength with a particularly robust lineup of tournaments in February.

They include:

WM Phoenix Open, TPC Scottsdale, Feb. 9-12 (CBS)

The Genesis Invitational, Riviera Country Club, Feb. 16-19 (CBS)

The Honda Classic, PGA National, Feb. 23-26 (NBC)

The action starts with this week’s star-studded WM Phoenix Open, which will feature eight of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, led by:

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, whose last PGA TOUR start was a victory at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina in October, will make his 2023 PGA TOUR debut at TPC Scottsdale. McIlroy, a 23-time PGA TOUR winner, became the first three-time FedExCup champion last season, and is coming off a victory at the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler was winless on the PGA TOUR a year ago, but the WM Phoenix Open kicked off a torrid run of four victories – including the Masters Tournament – in six starts. Scheffler, who is coming off a T11 at The American Express, ascended to No. 1 in the world and now comes back to where it all began with his playoff victory over Patrick Cantlay.

World No. 3 Jon Rahm, a Scottsdale resident and fan favorite (Arizona State), has four victories in his last six starts worldwide. PGA TOUR wins at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, in comeback fashion, and The American Express made up a banner January. He’s No. 1 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Greens in Regulation, Scoring Average, and the FedExCup standings.

The WM Phoenix Open will mark the second of 13 designated events (excluding majors) that will offer a minimum purse of $15 million in 2023 as the TOUR embarks on a new era. Most of the designated events feature purses of $20 million, with the purse at THE PLAYERS Championship in March standing at $25 million.

The Genesis Invitational at Riviera next week will be the third designated event of the season, and it, too, will feature no shortage of big names, including:

Max Homa, who won the Genesis two years ago and is one of the hottest players in the game. He won the season-opening Fortinet Championship, went 4-0-0 for the U.S. in his Presidents Cup debut, and won the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines last month.

Tom Kim, 20, provided two electrifying points for the International Presidents Cup Team in the fall; and became the first player since Tiger Woods to win twice on the PGA TOUR before turning 21 at the Shriners Children’s Open. Kim attended the Genesis as a fan three years ago.

Tony Finau, 33, notched his fifth PGA TOUR win at the Cadence Bank Houston Open in November. That victory, which kicked off the new season in style, came shortly after Finau won in back-to-back weeks at the 3M Open and Rocket Mortgage Classic. He lost a playoff to Homa at The Genesis Invitational two years ago.

The PGA TOUR will switch coasts and head to The Honda Classic to close out February, where fans will see another deep, strong field, with headliners including:

Sungjae Im, 24, is one of the most extravagantly talented players in the game. He picked up his first PGA TOUR victory at The Honda Classic three years ago, has since added another (Shriners Children’s Open), and has already become a mainstay for the International Presidents Cup Team.

Jason Day is a former world No. 1 with 12 PGA TOUR victories to his name, including the PGA Championship and THE PLAYERS Championship. He hasn’t won since 2018 but seems to be knocking at the door with a T7 in his last start, at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Padriag Harrington was the PGA TOUR Champions Rookie of the Year last season. He won four times, including the U.S. Senior Open, and his clubhead speed is even faster than it was when he teed it up week in, week out on the PGA TOUR. He won The Honda Classic in 2005 and 2015.