Golf News

Tiger Woods is off to a strong start to his 2012 season, tied for fourth with Rory McIlroy and five others after two rounds at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, two shots behind leader Thorbjorn Olesen from Denmark. Tiger is at 5-under for the tournament after shooting a 3-under 69 in the second round, while McIlroy would be tied for the lead if not for a rules violation that cost him a two-stroke penalty.

“I thought I played well today; I hit the ball just as well as I did yesterday and made a couple more putts today, which is nice,” said Tiger. “But the golf course is playing difficult. It’s starting to speed up a little bit and the greens were quicker, drier, and it was tough. No one is going low. Everyone’s pretty bunched and I think we have a majority of the field within nine shots of the lead.”

While Tiger Woods is starting his year over in Abu Dhabi, many of America’s best golfers will be competing at Torrey Pines near San Diego at the 2012 Farmers Insurance Open. Nick Watney and Phil Mickelson are the co-favorites but it should be wide open. Defending champion Bubba Watson is in the field, as is 2010 winner Ben Crane, but Watney and Mickelson’s stiffest competition may be Hunter Mahan.

The best international players in the field include Justin Rose, Geoff Ogilvy, Ernie Els and Camilo Villegas. Dustin Johnson has the highest Official World Golf Ranking of any golfer in the field. Last year’s PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley will also be teeing it up at Torrey Pines.

Here are your 2012 Farmers Insurance Open odds for all the top competitors:

• Nick Watney, USA (World Ranking: 12) 14/1 – Won Farmers Insurance Open in 2009

Tiger Woods begins his 2012 golf season this week in Abu Dhabi as a slight underdog to co-favorites Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy. Kaymer is the two-time defending champion at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, and has won here three times overall. World Number One Luke Donald is also in the field, as is reigning Masters champ Charl Schwartzel.

Tiger is paired with McIlroy and Donald for the first two rounds. The magnificent threesome will tee off at 10:40 p.m. ET on Wednesday night for their opening round and 3:05 a.m. ET on Friday for their second.

Donald says he’s no longer intimidated by playing with Tiger.  “There’s a little bit more of an atmosphere,” said the game’s current top-ranked player. “You’re going to feel a little bit differently. Certainly my experiences over the last few years — and I have played with [Tiger] quite a few times in the past — that feeling of being intimidated certainly dissipates.”

This week features the season’s first PGA Tour event in the continental United States, the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation (formerly known as the Bob Hope Classic). Along with the new name, the format has also changed from five rounds to four. Matt Kuchar is the betting favorite at 14/1, followed by two fellow Americans, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.

DJ has the highest world ranking of any golfer in the field, while Phil Mickelson is a two-time winner at this event, most recently back in 2004. Scotland’s Martin Laird has the best odds of any international player at 25/1. Also teeing it up this week is defending FedExCup champion Bill Haas, who won here back in 2010.

Here are your 2012 Humana Challenge Odds for all the top competitors:

• Matt Kuchar, USA (World Ranking: 11) 14/1