After an exciting conclusion to the 2016 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, some of the best golfers in the planet now shift their focus to the upcoming Northern Trust Open. It’s bound to be one exciting golf tournament with 15 of the world’s top 30 golfers competing in this week’s event.
Who will emerge victorious in this final PGA Tour stop on the West Coast Swing? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this world-class tournament and while you’re at it, you can check out our sleeper picks for the Northern Trust Open.
Jordan Spieth was sent crashing back to earth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last week, finishing in a tie for 21st with a seven-under-par total of 280. It was a disappointing week overall for the world no. 1, who hadn’t finished any worse than seventh since the BMW Championship last September.
That being said, Spieth will still enter the Northern Trust Open as the overwhelming favorite because of his outstanding form this season. He already has four top-10 finishes this season, including a runaway victory at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions earlier this year. It isn’t far-fetched to see Spieth (+600) return to winning ways at the Northern Trust Open as he has fared extremely well at Riviera before. He tied for fourth in this tournament last year.
If there’s one golfer, though, who can stop Spieth this week, it’s got to be Rory McIlroy (+700). The world no. 2 will be making his first start at the course known as “Hogan’s Alley.” The requirement at Riviera to move the ball both ways, especially left to right, will make it an ideal preparation for the Masters, which is the only major missing from McIlroy’s prized collection.
McIlroy has been on fire to start the season, finishing third at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and sixth at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Expect McIlroy to hit the ground running this week and rekindle his rivalry with Spieth.
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High-Value Sleepers – Phil Mickelson and Bill Haas
One player who’s playing some great golf at the moment is Phil Mickelson. He was in scintillating form in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, firing a 16-under-par total of 271 to finish in a respectable second place. If not for Mickelson’s gut-wrenching lip-out on the final hole, we would be talking about Lefty’s 43rd PGA Tour victory right now.
One advantage that Mickelson has against the rest of the field is his smooth touch on the putting greens. He is fourth in the PGA Tour in strokes gained via putting with a solid .966 average. That will come in handy when tackling the delicate greens of the Riviera course.
Another golfer who’s primed for a huge performance this week is Bill Haas (+3,000). He loves playing in this Riviera course as evidenced by his past performances in this event. He has finished in the top-25 in four of his last five starts here, including a thrilling playoff victory against Keegan Bradley back in 2012. Haas is one golfer you shouldn’t sleep on this week.
Long Shot – Vijay Singh
One golfer who can definitely surprise this weekend is Vijay Singh. The 53-year-old impressed in this tournament last year, finishing in a tie for 13th with a three-under par total of 281. He even had the share of the Northern Trust Open lead after the first round, carding a solid 66. It was the first time since the 2012 Greenbrier Classic that Singh held a share of the opening-round lead. Look for the former Masters champion to be in the hunt this coming weekend.
Writer’s Prediction
Jordan Spieth (+600) bounces back with a victory here in the Northern Trust Open.
