Frys Electronic Open
>> Read a full rundown of this weeks advised bets
Great credit must be due to the sponsors of this new event. Since the end of the ?regular? season and Fedex Cup, the PGA Tour Fall Series has been almost completely devoid of leading players, but here we have 8 of the world?s top-50. Most amazing of all is the appearance of PHIL MICKELSON, who of all players was most expected to have settled for home comforts rather than competitive golf at this late stage in the year.
It may just be that the turnout is due to players? high expectations of this Tom Fazio designed course. The characteristics of Grayhawk GC are generous fairways, with plenty of hazards creating risk-reward holes. There is also a suggestion that the test is not dissimilar from other Fazio designs such as Quail Hollow, home to the Wachovia Championship. Quail is very much a ?second-shot? course, which always produces top-class leaderboards.
So taking this point into consideration, whereas there is obviously an element of guesswork on a new course, it could pay to side with the market leaders and obvious class acts. And there is quite a gulf. Mickelson is very clearly the best in this field, and once you get beyond the first dozen in the betting we?re left with the also-rans that have been losing to the likes of George McNeill in recent Fall Series events.
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With Mickelson, we?re taking a chance that he?s not been relaxing too much in the three weeks since the Presidents Cup, but I doubt he?d be turning up if he wasn?t motivated. He?s also got plenty of form in the Arizona desert and at the aforementioned Wachovia Championship.
Few finished the regular season in better style than AARON OBERHOLSER. Runner-up to Woods in Boston plus 4th in the USPGA were not quite enough to propel him into the top-30 for the Tour Championship after a light, injury-affected campaign. Oberholser is a class act though, who normally comes to the fore on courses of this nature. Again, if Quail Hollow is a guide he was 7th last year and runner-up there in 2004.
Equally TIM CLARK was a model of consistency towards the end of the campaign having struggled early on with a neck injury. The South African had five top-10s from last 8 starts, without managing to land that elusive first PGA Tour win. He looks to have the right accurate long-iron skills to be dangerous on this track.
And yet another class act who seems to be finishing the season in style is MIKE WEIR. The Canadian left-hander was top points scorer for the International side at the recent Presidents Cup, beating Tiger Woods in the singles on the final day. The former Masters champion followed up with a decent 10th in Sunday?s putting contest, suggesting that he could be ready to win again after a spell in the doldrums.