Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Waste Management Phoenix Open Preview and Picks

DUE TO THE fact that I'm in the process of moving this weekend, it's an abbreviated preview this week. By that, I mean there really won't be much of a preview and just the picks. It happens.

Kevin Na, 40-1. Eventually Na is going to breakthrough and win on the PGA Tour and it could very well be this week. He had back-to-back T5s here recently with a fourth place showing in 2008, followed by a third place finish in 2009.

Brian Gay, 40-1. Reason number one to like Brian Gay this week: his putting (2nd on Tour last year) means he could be a threat any time he tees it up. Reason number two: He's started 2011 in a good way with a T13 and a T5 in his first two starts. And finally, he's had pretty good success at TPC Scottsdale with three straight top-25s from 2007-2009.

Geoff Ogilvy, 40-1. After a finger injury -- on a piece of coral on a Hawaiian beach -- forced Ogilvy to withdraw prior to his defence at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, he is making his 2011 season debut this week. Call it a gut feel on this one, as the Arizona resident has never produced a finish better than T17 here.

Sean O'Hair, 66-1. The result of O'Hair's 2010, to me, are a little misleading. It's true that he didn't win and slipped from 15th to 43rd in the world, but a further analysis of his year shows something interesting. His result in majors, WGC events and The Players, in order were: T17, T18, T30, T22, T12, T7, 5, Cut. What that says to me is that he's focused a lot of his energy on trying to win the big tournaments. Having said that, much like Ogilvy, I like him this week based purely on gut feel.

Long shot: Rory Sabbatini, 100-1. A lot of gut picks this week. Maybe I'm off a bit with everything else going on, but at the price, certainly worth. Sabbatini hasn't played awful here really, but his best finish is a T12.

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