Luke Donald, Dustin Johnson and Aaron Baddeley expected to shine at Riviera Country Club
There are many players in the field at Northern Trust Open, but Luke Donald, Dustin Johnson and Aaron Baddeley are being considered the hottest of all.
The tournament is being staged by Professional Golf Association Tour and is scheduled from February 16 to 19, 2012.
The exciting course of Riviera Country Club is the proud host of the tournament and all the players will tee off on Thursday.
The selection of these three players as the top contenders was done according to their achievements and performances.
Currently, they are giving their best and achieving most of the top positions on the leaderboard.
It is not that these three players are the only ones to win, there are plenty of others in the field who are competent enough. Nevertheless, expectations from these three are higher than any other player.
The situation would be more transparent by looking at their statistics. They have finished many tournaments on top, and that is why they are the favourites for this event as well.
Luke Donald is the most favourite at Riviera and the current world No. 1. He will be playing his first PGA tournament of the season. From January to mid February, he was in another continent, playing the European Tour events.
His career includes several victories and achievements. The last year was the most successful season for the 34-year-old English professional golfer.
He played 19 total events in 2011 and won two of them. His performance in the remaining tournaments was also impressive. He made amazing strokes, birdies and eagles throughout the year.
Donald is the only player in the history to complete a year by winning both PGA and European Tour money titles. He was also named as the Player of the Year on both Tours.
He ended the last European Tour season in Dubai, where he won the Race to Dubai, earning €5,323,400. Winning several victories and awards speaks loudly about the perfect game of the Englishman.
Now, Dustin Johnson is the second favourite contender of Northern Trust Open. He currently holds the 10th position, according to the Official World Golf Rankings.
Johnson’s scoring and performance in the current season has been perfect. He has improved his strokes, and now he is able to display an attractive game on the course.
He recently played the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links. He secured the 5th position by scoring an 11-under par and 275 strokes in total.
This was his best performance of the current year and his form is at its peak. His good swing will help him gain a lead over rivals.
He can reach the top-5 players, if he delivers his best from day one at Riviera.
For the third position, we have the defending champion of the tournament, Aaron Baddeley. The Aussie-American golfer is also the biggest rival of all the other players.
He knows the course very well and scored a 12-under par last year. Similarly, his performance in the current season is also impressive.
He is not in the world top-10 golfers, but possesses some major skills, which make him the hottest in the field.
He recently played at the Pebble Beach and finished the tournament in the top 5. He was leading Johnson by one stroke. Scoring a 12-under par and 274 helped him finish on the fourth position.
He is giving his best and is expected to continue his massive scoring in the upcoming PGA event. The Lebanese born player will be looking at his fourth PGA Tour win.
Hence, these three players are at the top. They are attracting spectators and their fans to Pacific Palisades.
All the remaining players in the field, who are eager to win the Northern Trust Open, will have to keep an eye on these hottest players.
Donald, Baddeley and Johnson are expected to give tough times throughout the four days of the tournament.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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