The PGA Tour stop at historic Riviera Country Club this weekend for the Northern Trust Open and the tournament, coming a week before the big-money WGC-Match Play, has a drawn a very good if not quite excellent field. Bet on this event with Bodog’s golf odds.
Five members of the world’s top 10, 12 of the top 20 and 29 of the Top 50 will play this week at Riviera, which hosted the U.S. Open in 1948 and the PGA Championship in 1983 and 1995 and has a long association with neighboring Hollywood. It’s by far the strongest field so far on the PGA Tour this year. Defending champion Steve Stricker leads a group that includes Phil Mickelson, Paul Casey, Jim Furyk and Luke Donald. The field would have been even better but both Nick Watney and Ernie Els withdrew earlier this week.
Mickelson has opened as the 10/1 favorite on Bodog’s golf odds this week. Lefty had a stellar three-year run of success in this tournament starting in 2007, finishing runner-up that year and then winning in 2008 and 2009. Last year Mickelson finished tied for 45th. Lefty has played well this year, with Top 10-finishes in three PGA Tour events.
Last year, Stricker shot a final round of 1-under-par 70 and won the Northern Trust Open by two strokes over Donald. Stricker started with a six-stroke advantage, but the lead evaporated to two-strokes after the first five holes. Stricker is the second favorite at 18/1. He has only played two PGA Tour tournaments this year but finished in the Top 10 of both in Hawaii.
The hottest player on Tour is Mark Wilson, who is the only two-time winner so far this season. He’s No. 1 in FedEx Cup points and on the money list. However, Wilson did miss the cut last week at Pebble Beach and has never had a Top-10 finish in three trips to this event. Thus he is long shot this week on Bodog’s golf odds at 66/1.