There is simply no doubt that the best golf on the planet this week will be played in the Middle East at the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi Championship. While the PGA Tour’s Bob Hope Classic – which began Wednesday – has two players in the top 30, the Abu Dhabi Championship has six of the Top 10 and 16 of the world’s top 30 players.
Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Phil Mickelson headline a field that also includes all four of the 2010 major winners. The HSBC, which commences the Euro circuit’s four-week Desert Swing, will also feature Paul Casey, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Edoardo and Francesco Molinari, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose. No, the purse isn’t all that big, but the tournament pays handsome appearance fees and puts players up in six-star hotels.
Kaymer, the 2010 PGA Championship winner and a two-time winner of this tournament, and world No. 1 Westwood are the current 8/1 favorites on Bodog. Westwood hasn’t played since he was validating his newly won No. 1 ranking by winning the 12-man Nedbank Challenge in Sun City six weeks ago by eight shots, chipping in at the last for style points. Westwood missed the cut at this tournament last year, only his second missed cut in his past 20 events.
This will be the first time in Abu Dhabi for Mickelson. Lefty’s last start came at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai in November. He tied for 41st place. Why is he playing this time? A reported $1.5 million appearance fee. Mickelson is just 20/1 to win. Mickelson’s last event was in Singapore in mid-November.
By the way, Mickelson and Tiger Woods both confirmed on Wednesday that they will make their 2011 PGA Tour debuts next week at San Diego’s Torrey Pines for the Farmers Insurance Open. It will be the first start for Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines since his epic U.S. Open win there in 2008. Woods has six career victories in this event, including each event from 2006-2008. Mickelson, a San Diego native who lives in nearby Rancho Santa Fe, won in 2000 and 2001.
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