PGA Tour – Farmers Insurance Open 2012 Winner Odds and Betting Preview

LA JOLLA, C.A. – This week’s PGA Tour event comes from the Southern California coast as the players face two courses at La Jolla, in the Farmers Insurance Open. Each player will play a round on each of the two courses on Thursday and Friday with the weekend’s action all on the South Course at Torrey Pines. The North course has averaged a stoke lower than the South and the players will have to contend with the winds coming off the ocean, making accuracy key this week.

Phil Mickelson heads the betting for this event and is a general 14/1 chance with most firms. He is making his 23rd start in this event and he will bid to win a 40th career victory on the PGA Tour. Mickelson has a decent record at Torrey Pines having won three times and recorded seven other top ten finishes and will be the most high profile player given Tiger Woods’ decision to play in Abu Dhabi.

Next in the betting comes Nick Watney quoted at 15/1 with Boylesports and the Californian hasn’t finished outside the top ten in his last three starts here. He won the title in 2009 and finished sixth last time out after recording a superb eight birdies on the front nine of his final round. He should be refreshed following the winter break and has a game that should suit the testing conditions.

One player who seems to excel on the California coast is Brandt Snedeker who can be backed at 22/1 with Betfred to win the event. He has finished in the top ten on his last two outings in the tournament and finished a promising tied eight at the Humana Challenge last weekend which shows the hip surgery that he had during the winter has not affected his game.

The young Rickie Fowler is making his 2012 debut this week and is available at 28/1 with BetVictor. He is yet to win on the PGA Tour but has recorded four second places to date and will be eager to go one better here in California. Fowler has played eight rounds at the La Jolla complex and averaged 70 and if he improves on this he has a great chance.

Charles Howell III was a joint runner-up on his seasonal debut at the Sony Open and is quoted at 28/1 with Blue Square. He has finished runner-up at Torrey Pines twice to Tiger Woods and without the former World number one in the field Howell should be able to seize his chance to take the title.  

Bubba Watson looks good value at 30/1 with Skybet having overcome Phil Mickelson by a single shot to lift the trophy this time last year. The South Course at Torrey Pines is the longest on the PGA Tour and his length off the tee will give him an advantage over many rivals, as the players will play this course three times this week.

There has been market support for D.A. Points and he is currently best priced at 40/1 with Betfred. He finished in a tie for twelfth at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and was sixth at the Sony Open on his two starts in 2012. He has decent course form having finished inside the top ten on each of his past two visits to Torrey Pines and is currently joint fifth on the greens in regulation statistic this year. The winner of this event for the past two seasons has topped this crucial statistic, showing the need for accuracy from tee to green.

Selected others include: Hunter Mahan priced up at 22/1 with bet365, Anthony Kim at 50/1 with Betfred, Matt Every quoted at 100/1 with bet365 and Ryo Ishikawa a 150/1 chance at William Hill.

The first group tees off at 16.30 GMT on Thursday 26th January and bettors can watch the action on Sky Sports 3 from 20.00 GMT.

Farmers Insurance Open 2012 – Winner Odds