Tiger Woods makes his 2012 PGA Tour debut at this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California.
The former world number one appears to be on the way back after a couple of years in the wilderness so can he make it a perfect start to the year stateside? (Woods 5/1 Tournament Outright @
Betfred).
Any tournament involving Woods over the past decade saw the 14-time major winner immediately installed as the favourite.
But, such has been his fall from grace over the past couple of years, the great man has not been the market leader on a number of occasions, with Rory McIlroy ahead of him in the betting.
But, following a return to form and the fact that the Northern Irishman is playing in Dubai this week, Woods is again at the top of the market and appears to be the man to beat.
A resurgence Down Under late last year was followed by a commendable performance in Abu Dhabi on the European Tour and, but for a final-round lapse, he may well have walked off with the title two weeks ago.
There is no doubt that the 36-year-old is still hungry for success and, with his body finally pain free, his swing appears to be taking shape.
Whether or not the Florida resident ever gets back to the kind of form that saw him dominate the sport for more than a decade is open to question, but the golfing world needs the greatest player since Jack Nicklaus back and playing well.
He loves the Pebble Beach course and it would be no surprise to see him challenging on Sunday afternoon.
The rest of the field’s prices reflect the fact that Woods is, once again, on the prowl, with Phil Mickelson (18/1) second in the market.
The left-hander has hardly set the world on fire in the early part of the season – missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open before finishing in a tie for 26th at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
It would be dangerous to write off the Californian’s chances of winning on Tour again but, with injury problems of his own, it may be that the three-time Masters champion’s best days are now behind him.
The same cannot be said for Hunter Mahan, who finished in share of sixth place at the Farmers – his one outing in the States this season.
The 29-year-old has threatened to become a top 10 player and may well do so during 2012 if he can keep finishing amongst the leaders.
Mahan has not won since 2010 but surely he will return to the winner’s enclosure this year.
Kyle Stanley has been the early star of the PGA Tour but he is having a week off and there are a few of the top names missing this week, as Bubba Watson also enjoys a rest.
That means Nick Watney is back in the spotlight and the 30-year-old appears to be well over his final-round meltdown at the 2010 USPGA Championship, with two wins last year.
He is a class act who many thought would have won a major by now but, at 30, he still has plenty of time to break his duck.
The Californian performed with credit at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions but finished way down the field at the Farmers and will be looking for a big week on the coast.
The two Johnsons – Dustin and Zach – are both well capable of making a run for the title but may well see a top five finish as the limit of their expectations, having not tasted victory for some time (Dustin Johnson 5/1 Top Five Finish).
In truth, it is not the strongest of fields this week and if Woods can reproduce the form he found in the desert then he should win.
But he has not won a full-field event for more than two years and that might play on his mind as the finishing line approaches (Woods 1/2, Mickelson 8/5 72-hole Match Result).
