2009 Buick Invitational
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This week’s PGA Tour stop at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, CA will be hard pressed to match the drama it produced in last June’s US Open. The two key figures in that epic 5-day weekend won’t be around this weekend. It’s been known for quite a while that Tiger Woods hasn’t even set a date for his return. I’m guessing he’ll squeeze in a Tournament before his grand return to The Masters. The man who almost beat Tiger in last year’s US Open, Roco Mediate, has withdrawn from the Buick Invitational because of knee surgery.
Last year’s Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines was a runaway 8 stroke win for Tiger Woods. His 4th Buick Championship in a row and 5 of the last 6. Mediate wasn’t even a factor as he missed the cut by 2 strokes. Now that Tiger is sitting at home and giving “others” a chance to win, let’s break down some of my players to watch.
The Favorites:
Phil Mickelson 10-1: I don’t think he’s worth the bet this week. He’s coming off a horrible missed cut in last week’s FBR Open. He did finish t6 here last year, but is trying out a new driver this week. Straight drives are a key to conquering this course and this might not be the week to try something new. Of course, he’s at a stage where he’s mainly concerned about winning Majors anyway.
Padraig Harrington: 10-1: He’s playing in his first Tournament in the states this year and is the owner of the last 2 Major Championships. I don’t like taking players that are better than 15-1, so I’ll stay away from him as well as Phil.
Players I’m taking a shot on:
Ryuji Imada 40-1: He’s the one that finished in 2nd place here last year, 8 strokes behind Tiger. He also finished a respectable t18 at last year’s US Open here. Good young player who got his first win on Tour last summer. He’s definitely worth a shot at 40-1.
Charles Howell III 25-1: Charles usually plays his best early in the season. He finished t13 here last year. He missed the cut last week, but finished 4th at the Sony Open last month. Has made the cut here every year and owns 3 top 10’s and two 2nd place finishes.
Long Shot:
Bubba Watson 66-1: The big bombing lefty is looking for his first PGA Tour win and he’s getting closer. He has very underrated mid-iron game. Look for him to be near the top of the leader board Friday night. If he can just put together a good weekend for a change, he has a shot.
This should be a fun Tournament to watch. If you like watching the Pros struggle a little, this is a Tournament for you. Last year the Buick played as the 10th toughest course on Tour averaging over a stroke over par. After posting big red numbers the last two weeks in the desert, look for golfers to struggle a bit.
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