The PGA Tour season gets underway on Friday with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Hawaii. The tournament is only open to PGA Tour event winners from last season, although Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy have opted to swerve the event which leaves Steve Stricker at the head of the betting with Bet 365.
There is a field of 28 this week and twelve of those are making their debut in the event, which will be held from Friday to Monday for the first time. Steve Stricker is one man with plenty of experience in this traditional curtain raiser and he has finished in the top ten in each of the past three years. He was tied fourth last year and his ability to start seasons quickly should stand him in good stead, while his course experience and status as the top ranked American in the world rankings (number six) makes him a worthy 7/1 favourite.
Stricker just edges out Webb Simpson for ante-post favouritism and the fact Simpson makes his first appearance at this course counts against him, with B365 pricing him 15/2. He enjoyed a strong end to the 2011 season, winning the Wyndham and Deutsche Bank during a run of seven top tens in nine outings, and it capped an excellent year that saw him finish second to Luke Donald in the PGA Tour money list. However, Simpson has struggled in Hawaii on his two recent outings and there might be better value elsewhere.
The ultra-consistent Nick Watney started last season quickly and will look to do so again after finishing tied fifth here last year, with Bet 365 pricing him 17/2 in the latest betting.
Elsewhere, Tour Championship winner Bill Haas is 14/1 after finishing eighth last year, while KJ Choi will look to continue his fine end to 2011 which saw him notch six consecutive top 20 finishes worldwide.
Also at 16/1 is Bubba Watson and he is another that finished 2011 strongly as he managed three successive top fifteens. It is difficult to know what you're going to get from Watson from tournament to tournament but he looks worthy of consideration if he can maintain the form that saw him light up this tournament in the early rounds last year, before falling away to end tied 25th.
Keegan Bradley joins his fellow American at 16/1 and the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year will bid to add to his tournament wins from last season, while Gary Woodland looks ideally suited to this course and could be worth a punt at 16/1 with Bet365, particularly after he finished in the top 16 in seven of his last ten events of 2011.
Finally, reigning champion Jonathan Byrd (25/1) is back to defend his crown after he beat Robert Garrigus in a play-off last year and he has the fine record of having finished in the top fifteen on his last four appearances here.
2012 Hyundai Tournament of Champions Tips
Tip #1: Steve Stricker to win @ 7/1 with Bet365.com
Tip #2: Gary Woodland to win @ 16/1 with Bet365.com
7/1 Steve Stricker
15/2 Webb Simpson
17/2 Nick Watney
14/1 Bill Haas
16/1 KJ Choi
16/1 Bubba Watson
16/1 Keegan Bradley
16/1 Gary Woodland
18/1 Aaron Baddeley
20/1 Martin Laird
22/1 BAR
Odds supplied byBet365.com bookmakers, who provide a variety of betting markets - including live betting in-running - for the 2012 Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
Posted: Tuesday, 3rd January 2012
Author: Chris James
Tags: pga tour, hyundai tournament of champions, steve stricker, webb simpson, bet365,
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