PGA Farmers Insurance Open Golf Betting Odds, Tips and Preview

Mickelson out for good showing at Torrey Pines

Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson © GEPA pictures

It is off to California for PGA Farmers Insurance Open golf betting this week. The South course at Torrey Pines is the longest course used on the Tour, and naturally the benefits will be there for those who can drive longer distances. Bubba Watson exemplified that last season when he was booming the ball over the San Diego course, winning the tournament and leading the field in driving distance. PGA Farmers Insurance Open golf betting is a great experience and one of the best tournaments on the PGA Tour, because not only can the even the won with sheer distance, the course is much, much more complex than that. Players have only small greens to drive at here on the South Course and that is why you will be looking for a player with a great blend of distance and accuracy in approach worth. The event goes over the North and South courses, and while the North one is regarded as being a pretty easy par-72, its southern counterpart is a bit of a monster. The greens just have to be hit there, they really do, because it can be torture for wayward shots. The South Course is 7,698 yards, the longest course on the Tour and so it is Bubba Watson who returns to try and defend his title. However, the American isn’t trading all that well, not after a pretty uninspiring crack at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, his only outing this year. He finished eight under par, but the big problem was his consistency over the four rounds, and it is one of the things which holds him back from more titles. The driving distance is there with him, the manipulation of the ball in the air is there, and he has continuous improved his iron work throughout his career. Trading back at 30/1 with SkyBet to take the title again here. He pulled all of his assets to play brilliantly here last year, he is too hit and miss to back solidly, but the potential is there, especially over the North Course.

First time winners don’t happen very often in PGA Farmers Insurance Open golf betting and you have to back a long way to find the last one. So you have to look for some event experience and that is what should put Nick Watney in good contention again. Like Watson, he is a former winner of the event, taking the title in 2009 and he has landed inside the top ten in four out of seven attempts here. Has been inside the top ten in his last three outings at Torrey Pines, so you can’t ignore him. Superb consistency and accuracy and that is what will keep him near the top of the pile. Has only been out once on Tour this season, and that was at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He had a slow start there, but came back to life on the weekend to land a T12 finish. Huge potential in your PGA Farmers Insurance Open golf betting for 2012. Well worth a look, and great value at 16/1 with BetFred. If you are looking for experience then it doesn’t come in a much bigger package than that of Phil Mickelson. He started off his season at the Humana Challenge last week, where he only just crept inside the top fifty in a competitive field, one where he was expected to be one of the front runners. He scored -10 under for the event, but he just got out of the blocks slowly in the first round which hampered his overall positioning. Mickelson has won the PGA Farmers three times in his career and this is as close to being his home course as it can be. With a solo second place finish here, Mickelson is the favourite with the bookies again, because when he is on song, it is hard to beat his magical approach work to the greens. Yes, he blew a little hot and cold last season, but he is still one of the greats and he loves the course and event. Should be inside the top ten and challenging. He is at home here.

Brandt Snedeker warrants a look at in you PGA Farmers Insurance Open golf betting. The American put in a good top ten finish at the Humana Challenge last week which should put him in good contention at Torrey Pines, especially with his track record at the event. Snedeker was hot with the putter last week, and he has been inside the top ten at the PGA Farmers in his last two outings. The American will be pretty happy with his start to the new season following a hip problem. Looked comfortable enough last week, not as strong an option as Watney or Mickelson, but a great place finish contender. The bookies seem to like his chances though as he is trading around 22/1 with Totesport. We are going to skip down the pecking order a little bit and pick out Charles Howell III for 28/1 at Bet365. His putter wasn’t working at the Humana Challenge last week, but the rest of his game still looked good enough for him to be positive at Torrey Pines. Has always made the cut at the event and has a clutch of top fifteen finished. It’s been a while, but he has finished as runner up in PGA Farmers Insurance Open golf betting  twice before in his career. Could be a good outside shot in your golf betting if he can pull things together just a little tighter this weekend.

There are plenty of other top names to look at in the field for the PGA Farmers Insurance Open golf betting. One of the form men in the early PGA season is Ben Crane, who has landed two top ten finishes in his two outings this year. Was a winner here back in 2010 so will be quietly confident and will probably fly under the radar a little bit, but attracting interest at 28/1 with BetFred. You can look for the season debut for Hunter Mahan at 22/1 with SkyBet to come good with his consistency. Not an easy track to start off your season with though. Keegan Bradley is always a dangerous floater in these kinds of fields at 35/1 with Bet365 while Dustin Johnson has all the length and ability needed to tame the North Course at Torrey Pines. That is the big area of his game which he will rely on, but he withdrew from the Humana Challenge last week in the first round citing back pains as being the problem. That won’t give punters a lot of confidence in backing him, and the bookies have him out at 30/1 with SkyBet. DA Points 40/1 at Stan James, Ernie Els 35/1 at BetVictor and Bill Haas at 40/1 with Totesport are all names which you would expect to be seeing challenging for a top ten position.

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