Golf Betting – Mickelson, Ogilvy Tee It Up In Houston
Masters betting players can warm up, like many of the PGA pros, with this weekend’s tournament in Houston at Redstone Golf Course, the Shell Open. Johnson Wagner is the defending champion in this event, but he’ll have his hands full with one of the strongest fields in recent memory.
Phil Mickelson has never fared that well at Redstone, as his T-23 in 2008 was his best finish. But Mickelson has won two of his last three starts, and he’s tied for third on the Tour in putting, which will always give you a chance to shoot a low number.
Geoff Ogilvy has a pair of wins this season (one in match play), and he finished four shots behind Johnson in last year’s Shell Open. Ogilvy is coming off a disappointing 40th at the WGC-CA Championship at Doral, but with three top-10s in this event, Ogilvy figures to give sportsbook players some bang for their buck.
Multiple winners Stuart Appleby and Vijay Singh are in the field, but neither has challenged seriously this season.
Appleby, a two-time winner, has one top-10 in eight starts this season, while Singh’s high is a 17th-place finish in the match-play event, and the three-time winner has battled a knee injury all season.
Padraig Harrington has been improving in time for the Master, and he finished 11th last week at Bay Hill. Harrington was T-26 here last year, but he shot a final-round 68, so the course was coming to him.
Two solid players to watch are Steve Stricker, who had three straight top-15s here, and Chad Campbell, who was tied with Ogilvy for second in 2008. Stricker has a pair of top-fives in his last four starts, while Campbell has been a bit inconsistent this season. But both are good ball-strikers and putters, so golf betting players should consider them.
Online betting players should go with Stricker this week, based on his previous record at the Shell Open, as well as his 2008 form. Redstone will be set up similarly to the Masters, and Stricker is one of the best putters on the Tour; he has been for a long time. He’s also been knocking on the door of a win, and many of the top names will be working on some things for Augusta.
Houston Open Pick:
Make Steve Stricker your golf betting pick this week.
One reply on “2009 Houston Open Preview/Picks”
I’ll have my eye on Mickelson. Everyone is gearing up for a show down with Tiger. We now know Woods is ready, this would be a great opportunity for Phil to show he is ready and up for the challenge.