Golf fans are in for a treat this week as the PGA Tour treks to Los Angeles for the 2016 staging of the Northern Trust Open. It’s bound to be one memorable event with superstars Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy locking horns for the first time this season.
Who will emerge victorious and grab the $1.224 million top prize? Read on below as we break down the top contenders for this year’s Northern Trust Open. While you’re at it, you can check out our sleeper picks for this famed West Coast tournament.
Spieth may have struggled at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am but he remains the man to beat in this week’s Northern Trust Open. The world no. 1 came close to winning this event last year, finishing a stroke shy of eventual champion James Hahn. Spieth was the only golfer in that tournament to shoot under par in every round.
2. Hideki Matsuyama
If there’s one golfer who can stop Spieth at Riviera this week, it’s got to be Hideki Matsuyama. The Japanese star is making his first start since his playoff win against Rickie Fowler in Phoenix two weeks ago. Just like Spieth, he knows his way around this golf course as he finished tied for fourth in this event last year. Matsuyama’s primed to improve on that finish as he’s playing some incredible golf this campaign. He is sixth in the PGA Tour in scoring, averaging 69.83 strokes per round this season.
3. Jimmy Walker
Jimmy Walker is another golfer who loves playing here at Riviera. He has four top-20s in nine trips to this Pacific Palisades course, including two T-4 finishes. The Texan is off to a strong start this year, finishing no worse than T-13 in his first four PGA Tour events. Key to Walker’s strong start this season has been his solid putting. He is 26th in the PGA Tour in strokes gained via putting with a .633 average.
4. Rory McIlroy
All eyes will be on Rory McIlroy as he makes his debut at the L.A. track this week. The Ulsterman has been in excellent form thus far this year with a T-3 (Abu Dhabi) and T-6 (Dubai) in his first two starts. The Riviera course suits McIlroy’s game perfectly so expect the reigning European Tour Golfer of the Year to post some solid numbers this week.
5. Charl Schwartzel
Another golfer who’s in fine form to start the year is Charl Schwartzel. He’s fresh off a runaway victory in his native South Africa, winning the Tshwane Open by a whopping eight shots. Schwartzel shot a final round seven-under 63 to win his 11th European Tour title. He will look to carry that excellent form this week at Riviera, the site of his top-five finishes in 2013 and 2014.
6. Sergio Garcia
One golfer who can definitely make a run at the title this week is Sergio Garcia. The Spaniard came agonizingly close to winning this event last year, finishing in a tie for fourth. Riviera suits Garcia’s game quite perfectly as he has finished inside the top 10 in two of his last four starts here. In nine career starts at Riviera, Garcia has finished outside the top 25 only twice. The 36-year-old has been in superb form of late, finishing in the top-15 in his last three European Tour starts.
7. Bubba Watson
Watson may have missed the 54-hole cut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am but he’s due for a huge bounce-back performance at Riviera this week. The two-time Masters champion loves playing in this Los Angeles course, winning the title here back in 2014. He dazzled in the final two rounds of that event, posting bogey-free 64-64 post-cut to win his first Northern Trust Open crown. With his prodigious length off the tee (314.7 yards per drive), he’s one of the favorites to capture the championship this week.
8. Justin Rose
Justin Rose silenced the doubters with a solid T-6 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He salvaged some respectability for the golf world’s top 10 list, shooting a 12-under-par total of 275 last week. The Englishman will fancy his chances of extending that excellent form this week as he has fared extremely well at Riviera of late. He recorded top-15 finishes in 2011 and 2012 here at Riviera. Rose’s tee-to-green precision will once again be a major asset for him in this tournament.
9. Dustin Johnson
If there’s one golfer primed for a breakthrough win at the Northern Trust Open this week, it’s got to be Dustin Johnson. The American has had plenty of close calls in this event, finishing in second place the last two years. What makes Johnson such a huge threat in this tournament is his incredible power off the tee. He is sixth in the PGA Tour in driving distance, averaging 313.0 yards per drive this season. That powerful swing will come in handy when tackling the 7,322-yard, par-71 Riviera course.
10. Paul Casey
Just like Dustin Johnson, Paul Casey has had his share of heartbreaks in this tournament. He lost to James Hahn in a gut-wrenching playoff last year and finished tied for 12th here at Riviera back in 2011. It isn’t far-fetched, however, to see Casey finally win this week as he has been playing some excellent golf of late. He has recorded two top-10s in his last four starts.
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