Golf fans are in for a treat this week as the PGA tour treks to Hawaii for the 2016 staging of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. It’s bound to be one exciting competition as six of the world’s top 10 golfers will be teeing it off at this event.
Who will emerge victorious and grab the $1.18 million top prize? Read on for a detailed breakdown of the favorites, high-value sleepers and long shot for this prestigious tournament. While you’re at it, you can check out our sleeper picks and predictions for the first PGA Tour event of the year.
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2016 Hyundai Tournament of Champions Betting Preview
[sc:Golf240banner ]Jordan Spieth (+375) and Jason Day (+450) will enter this week’s event as the prohibitive favorites after recording spectacular campaigns last season. Spieth was simply exceptional last year, grabbing five tournament wins, including victories at the Masters and the US Open. Jason Day also made his mark in the majors last season, capturing the PGA Championship in emphatic fashion last year. The Australian shot a record-breaking 20-under par to win his first major title.
They will resume their budding rivalry this week when they lock horns at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Spieth and Day, who swapped the world No. 1 ranking in the fall, will fancy their chances of grabbing the title this weekend because of their solid play. Day had the longest streak of shooting par-or-better rounds with 22 to his name last season. Spieth, on the other hand, was third in the PGA Tour in birdie average, draining 5.75 birdies per round last campaign.
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High-Value Sleepers – Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler
One golfer who has had some success here in the past is American Dustin Johnson (+700). The 31-year-old won this event back in 2013 where he shot a 16-under-par total of 203 to prevail by four shots over Steve Stricker. What makes Johnson such a great pick this week is his booming drive. He led the PGA Tour in driving distance last year, averaging 317.3 yards per drive last season. That will come in handy when tackling the long 7,452-yard, par 73 Plantation Course in Kapalua.
Another golfer who’s primed for a good showing this week is Rickie Fowler (+900). The American had a highly-successful 2015 season, grabbing tournament victories in the Players Championship, the Scottish Open and the Deutsche Bank Championship. Fowler will be playing in just his second Hyundai event, though. He finished tied for sixth in his Hyundai debut back in 2013.
Long Shot –Padraig Harrington
There will be 14 golfers who will be making their tournament debuts in Kapalua in just a few days’ time. One of those players, quite surprisingly, is three-time major winner Padraig Harrington (+8,000). The Irishman shocked pundits everywhere with his win in the Honda Classic last year and he will be looking to duplicate that feat here in Kapalua.
He will have his work cut out, however, in this long Plantation Course. He averaged just 290.5 yards per drive last season, good for 86th in the PGA Tour. For Harrington to stand a chance this week, he will need to improve on his driving accuracy. He’s putting into play just 67.86 percent of his drives this season.
