Phoenix Open Odds – Na gets first PGA win in the desert

March 6, 2010

Online betting players have been familiar with Kevin Na, a young and talented golfer who has shown a lot of promise since turning pro at 17. Nine years later, Na is poised to finally get his first win at a course he’s performed well at in the past. The Waste Management Phoenix Open will be held at the TPC Scottsdale, and the 16th amphitheater-style hole is the loudest in all of golf. Na will get a loud cheer there on Sunday

Phil Mickelson is the hometown favorite at +650, but he isn’t from Scottsdale. Mickelson went to Arizona State, and he usually gets the loudest reception of the weekend from the raucous 16th hole crowd. He’ll need all of their encouragement as Mickelson, a two-time winner of this event in 1996 and 2005, has been inconsistent with the driver and putter this year. Mickelson has especially been shaky on Sundays.
J.B. Holmes, like Mickelson, is a two-time winner here in 2006 and 2008, but he also joined Mickelson by missing the cut last year. Holmes, who is listed at +1800 is one of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour, but he’s also 14th in putting this season, and the TPC Scottsdale rewards good putting. He has a pair of top-three finishes in three starts this year, including a runner-up at Pebble Beach two weeks ago.
Ian Poulter comes in at +2000 in your sportsbook, and his game has started to catch up to his confidence (and his outfits) over the last couple of years. Poulter finally got his first win on the PGA Tour by beating fellow Englishman Paul Casey in the Match Play event last year, and he’ll be making his first appearance at the TPC Scottsdale. If his putter is as hot as it was during the Match Play, watch out.
Kevin Na is listed at an understated +3300, and he has three top-four finishes in five trips to the TPC Scottsdale, including last year’s third-place result. Na has two top-10s in five starts this year, and he’s an excellent putter, ranking seventh in that category.
Brandt Snedeker is the darkhorse to watch in the desert this weekend at +5000, and he is off to a good start with finishes of 21st or better in his first four events this year, including a pair of top-10s. Snedeker finished ninth here in 2008, but was one of many golfers to miss the cut last year.
Golf Picks: You have to be a good putter to win here at the TPC Scottsdale, or at least consistent, and Na is one of the best in the business. He likes this course, and Arizona as a whole as his best finishes since turning pro as a 17-year-old in 2001 have come in the desert. Na is starting to come into his own at 26 years old, and some are thinking he will be the breakout player of the year. Look for Kevin Na to make a statement this week.
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