Betting on the Links – Northern Trust Open Preview

The PGA will hope for clearer skies this week when the golf betting schedule moves to Pacific Palisades, California for the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.

Last weekend’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was shortened to 54 holes after rain washed out the final round. Missing the final round wasn’t a problem for Dustin Johnson, as he was leading the field at 15-under after 54 holes and claimed his second career PGA win. The missing final 18 holes may have cost Mike Weir or Retief Goosen a possible tour win, though; Weir was only four strokes back, while Goosen would have had the chance to make up five strokes had the rains stayed away. Johnson will get a shot at another tour win this weekend in the Northern Trust Open, but he’ll likely be a heavy underdog on the golf odds.

The favorite this weekend will most likely be Phil Mickelson. Lefty is the defending champion of this event after edging Jeff Quinney by two strokes last year. To add another Northern Trust title to his lengthy resume this week Mickelson will need to greatly improve on his season results so far. In last week’s Pro-Am Mickelson was tied for 55th at two-under par after 54 holes. That was the first time this season that Mickelson had finished a tourney under par after shooting two-over in the Buick Invitational and missing the cut in the FBR Open.

Before Mickelson won last season Charles Howell III took the title in 2007 and Rory Sabbatini finished on top of the leaderboard in 2006. Both will return to Riviera this week. The only multiple winner of this event in the field this weekend will be Mike Weir. Weir captured the title in back-to-back years in 2003 and 2004, and after challenging for top spot last weekend he could be a solid pick and profitable this week.

Out of the current World Golf rankings only five of the Top 10 golfers in the world will be teeing it up at Riviera this week. The highest-ranked player scheduled to play this week is No. 3 Padraig Harrington. Also committed to play are No. 4 Vijay Singh, No. 5 Mickelson, No. 8 Geoff Ogilvy, and No. 10 Kenny Perry.