Crowne Plaza betting preview - Mickelson to win?
World No. 2 Phil Mickelson is the chief heavyweight lining up for this week's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Country Club, Texas. And if victory for its own sake isn't incentive enough, a win here could also be enough to oust Tiger Woods from the No. 1 spot - but is it realistic to expect Phil to romp home?
He's done it before, in 2000, and most recently two years ago, when he beat Tim Clark and Australia's Rod Pampling by a stroke - and he was absent from last year's event, taking time out from golf to be with his wife Amy, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Statistically one of the easier courses on the PGA tour, low scoring rounds are expected - Phil himself got the joint lowest final round of his career here in 2000 when he shot 63. He's the favourite for a reason, playing well after an off-key start to the season and we'd be surprised to see the left-hander finish far from the top of the leaderboard.
Last year's champ Steve Stricker is back in action, but the 43-year-old has dropped from third to fourth place in the world rankings recently after missing several tournaments with a shoulder injury. Stricker did win earlier this year at the Northern Trust Open, but he could only tie for 30th place at the Masters. He hasn't played since then, and it could be too big of an ask to expect this dependable but somewhat dull figure to find winning form on his comeback.
Tim Clark finally overcame what felt like the longest losing streak in sport three weeks ago, triumphing at the Players Championship over Robert Allenby to win his first PGA Tournament since his career began in 2001. In that time Clark has claimed second place at eight previous tournaments, including the Masters in 2006.
With a plethora of such runner-up placings it's not like the South African was ever in danger of starving, but now that Clark has belatedly stepped up to the next level can we expect to see him take that long-awaited first win and turn it into the start of something more substantial?
He certainly came close here last year, needing only par to win on the 18th hole - instead carding a bogey, thus forcing a playoff which he went on to lose. He was runner-up here two years ago, too. Maybe the golfer whose family crest should be "propinquus , tamen haud cigar" (that's Latin for "close, but no cigar") can make up for that disappointment this week, though you probably don't need me to tell you to make it an each way bet if you fancy Clark.
Longer odds are available on a couple of English lads, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey; of the pair, Casey currently looks the sharper and was fifth here last time round. Then again, Poulter has already won this year in the States, beating Casey at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, and he also did creditably in 2009, finishing in eighth place. Either man could be worth a look.
If you want to go for an longshot, US Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin is available at very long odds indeed - as a two-time winner here, most recently in 1996, perhaps he can roll back the years? With odds around the 150-1 mark, "Crazy" Pavin is surely tempting to the more sentimental speculator, if not the more hard-nosed investor. He's yet to make a top ten finish this year, so please don't go putting the house on him.
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