Shell Houston Open Top Ten - Lefty will make a Run

Tee-off:  4/2/2009

Now that Tiger Woods has a win under his belt, its seems like its back to the norm for the PGA Tour.  This weekend’s tournament is the Shell Houston Open and most of the top golfers in the world will be using this as a tune up for the Masters.

Tiger is not one of those players and is sitting this one out, but some heavy hitters will be on the course swinging their clubs in anticipation of the Masters in under two weeks.  One of those golfers will be Phil Mickelson who is easily one of the best bets to win the 2009 Masters.

Let’s analyze some of the best bets to finish in the Top Ten.

Golf:  Shell Houston Open Top Ten

1. Phil Mickelson -170 - - Phil is on a roll.  That’s just all there is to it.  The odds appear low but Mickelson, without a doubt, is playing some of his best golf to date.  He should be looking to peak for the Masters which means a Top Ten finish in the Shell Houston Open is almost a foregone conclusion.

2. Padraig Harrington +180 - - Padraig had a very good tournament at Bay Hill last week.  He should turn that into an easy top ten finish.  If he does, then I’ll be picking Padraig to make things interesting for Tiger in the Masters.

3. Sergio Garcia +180 - - Sergio has had a sub par year so far but a Top Ten finish should be in the cards for the Shell Houston Open  because, like Padraig and Phil, Sergio will be in the mix come Masters time.  He’s got to get himself sharp at this tournament to do that.

4. Geoff Ogilvy -110 - - Ogilvy should get into the Top Ten with ease in the Shell Houston Open.  He’s having a fantastic year and actually has a shot to win this year’s Masters Tournament.  Ogilvy should be super sharp for the Shell.

5. Vijay Singh +300 - - Vijay just hasn’t hit his stride yet.  He’s teeing off in the Shell Houston Open as a tune up for Augusta and should contend this weekend. Singh should do well enough to get himself into the Top Ten.

6. Camilo Villegas +180 - - It’s getting close to a watershed moment for Villegas.  If he’s as good as everyone is saying that he is, then he should finish in the Top Ten every week.
   
   

Best Long Shots

• Lee Westwood +600 - - The odds on Westwood are just too high for gamblers not to consider him for a Top Ten finish.  He’s good enough.
• Andres Romero +800 - - Romero has been relatively quiet so far this year, but that could all change this week.  At 8 to 1, he could be a fantastic wager.