PGA Betting – Humana Challenge Preview & Pick
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Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation
When: Thursday January 19 through Sunday January 22.
Where: PGA West Palmer Course, the PGA West Nicklaus Course and La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, Calif.
Broadcast: Thursday and Friday, 3-6 p.m. ET; Saturday and Sunday, 4-7 p.m. ET, on Golf Channel.
Is the name of the tournament long enough for ya? Maybe it should have been “Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation – the first event on Continental North America and the Tournament formerly known as the Bob Hope Classic”. That would be an impressive engraving feat!
Last week I had Steve Stricker winning the Sony Open but a final round 74 totally took him out of the running. He would eventually finish T38; eight shots off the pace and one stroke behind my sleeper pick Rory Sabbatini who ended -5, good for T29.
This week’s tournament (too long to type again!!!!) has gone through a total transformation both in name and in format. No longer is the tournament contested over four courses, the full event will take place at the host Palmer Course, La Quinta Country Club and the Nicklaus Course at PGA West.
The winner of the event will still receive the Bob Hope trophy even though Bob is not the namesake of the tournament anymore. Despite all, expect a shootout with typically low scores.
Birdies are the key – to win, a player will have to make a ton!
So there we go – with the housekeeping out of the way, let’s get to the picks!
THE FAVORITES:
Dustin Johnson
Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation Odds: +1500
Johnson is an odds favorite this weekend despite not playing yet this year and not playing this event in the last couple of years. He is the highest ranked player in the field – #8 so I guess his “golf cred.” makes him a threat!
Phil Mickelson
Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation Odds: +1500
Like Johnson, Mickelson hasn’t played this year – the last time that we saw him was back in November. Phil wasn’t great in 2011 but he does have an incredible track record at this event – a two-time winner (2002, 2004) and he has made the cut seven straight times here. But hasn’t played in this event in four years.
Matt Kuchar
Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation Odds: +1500
The Humana Challenge will be Kuchar’s first tournament of 2012 but he comes in with a good track record at the event. He was runner-up in 2010 and finished T7 last year. He is certainly one of the most consistent players on TOUR and ranked 26th on TOUR in Strokes Gained-Putting and 15th in birdie average in 2011.
Bill Haas
Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation Odds: +2000
Haas has to be in the conversation this week – he won the event in 2010 and lost in a playoff in 2011 while posting 20 consecutive rounds in the 60’s. The defending FedEx Cup champion has the game to be at or near the top of the Leader board again in 2012.
Martin Laird
Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation Odds: +2000
Laird is another player that has to be considered a frontrunner in this event. Only a final round 74 kept him from a solid finish in the 2011 event – one that he was two strokes back entering the final round in 2011 and eventually finished T22. Laird started strong in 2012 with a second place finish at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and is currently ranked 33rd in the World Golf Rankings.
THE CONTENDERS:
Bo Van Pelt
Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation Odds: +2500
Van Pelt is a birdie machine – he ranked inside the top 10 on TOUR in total birdies in six of the last eight years and finished T5 in this event in 2009. The Humana Challenge will be his first tournament of 2012. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Charles Howell III
Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation Odds: +2500
Howell III is coming off a great effort – T2 last week at the Sony Open and has fared well at this event in the past.
Anthony Kim
Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation Odds: +3000
Home town boy will try to improve on a T3 effort at this event in 2008. He is an aggressive player that may have some issues with this being his first tournament of 2012.
Brian Gay
Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation Odds: +4000
Gay has had success at this event in the past – Top 20’s in three consecutive years and a T5 last year where he led the field in fairways hit, ranked third in putting and T4 in birdies. Gay finished T6 at the Sony Open last week and has a real chance to break through this week.
THE SLEEPERS:
Harrison Frazar
Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation Odds: +5000
Frazar may be the hottest golfer going into the Humana – two top fives in the two tournaments of 2012. He finished T2 at the Sony Open last week and also has finished Top-10 in three of his 12 starts at the Humana.
Kyle Stanley
Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation Odds: +8000
Stanley comes into the Humana as a name that has slipped under the radar. His T23 at Waialae may not sound all that impressive but he led the field in driving distance and finished T10 in greens hit in that tournament. In 2011, he ranked 30th on TOUR in greens hit and sixth in total birdies – stats that should bode well for this week’s event.
THE PICK:
Bill Haas +2000 – Haas has been brilliant in this event over the past couple of years – a win in 2010 (-30) and a playoff loss in 2011. He wasn’t great at the Hyundai with a 20th place finish but he is already battle-tested in 2012 and he loves this event. At +2000, I can’t pass up the price!
My Sleeper pick this week is Harrison Frazar +5000 – a T5 and a T2 already this year in only two tournaments. Frazar is on top of his game and could lead you to a very good Sunday pay day!
