Nissan Open Betting Preview

The PGA Tour remains in California this week, although down at the other end of the Pacific Highway, for the Nissan Open in Los Angeles. Riviera Country Club is the venue and Tiger Woods will be competing in an event for the first time since winning the Buick Invitational last month.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />3/1 is the best price to be found about the world number two, although this remains the tournament he has entered most without winning. It was also the scene of his debut PGA start but we shall be leaving him out this week.Riviera, otherwise known as Hogan's Alley, is a shot makers course, and as such it makes logical sense that players could take several years to adjust to the surroundings in order to become truly effective there. This has certainly been the case with Mike Weir.The Canadian missed the cut on his first four trips in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, and then chose to sit it out in 2002. However, he returned in the two following years, and on both occasions has ended up taking the title with him.Any player going for three in a row at an event deserves much consideration, but especially when they take good form with them. Last week in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am the left-hander played fine golf, and his final round of 67 was the only one in the 60's all day, and lifted him to second place.The 2003 Masters Champion can be supported at 12/1 and this is good enough to make him our principal selection.Five of the last eight winners of the Nissan have been non-Americans, and our second pick also fits this mould. This will be the third time this season that we have included Tim Clark in our betting verdict, and on the former two instances, the South African has provided profits. Firstly he played in the South African Open and won at his beloved Durban Country Club from a price of 16/1. And then last week, he came fourth from an each way quote of 33/1. The 29 year old is playing superbly at the moment and the week previous to last, he was runner up at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. There is every reason to expect another high finish especially as he came tenth 12 months ago.The best price to be found about Clark wining his fort PGA title this week is 33/1, and we advise baking him in an each way capacity.Charles Howell III has had an excellent start to 2005, and will be looking forward to playing at Riviera. It is probably fair to say that his general play over the past eighteen months or so has been disappointing, and few would have predicted that he would not have added to sole victory at the Michelob Championship in 2002 by now.Five top tens during 2004 gave the Augusta raised Howell over $1.7 Million for the year, but it is a measure of his talent and ability that this was seen as a below par effort. Last week at Pebble Beach he came 11th, and this follows earlier results of 2nd at the Buick Invitational and 3rd at the Sony Open. This will be the fourth time that the 25 year old will compete in this tournament, with the first three results reading 6th (2001), 2nd (2003) and 73rd (2004). What we find especially interesting however, is his form going into those years. Last year he was not playing at all well with no top 20's from five starts and 66th in his previous outing, and he subsequently came 73rd. When he has done well however, in the other two years, the results leading into the Nissan were far more promising. When coming 2nd in 2003, he had four of five results in the top 20, and in 2002 three of four were in the top 12.The fact that his results column this term is packed with three of four top 11's makes us confident Howell can turn in another strong display. His case is further strengthened by the fact that he holds the second lowest scoring average on the Tour, at just 68.97.Get a free bet on the Nissan Open with VCBet