Fowler a good bet to beat Woods and break PGA Tour duck
Published:Rickie Fowler may still be waiting for his first PGA Tour victory, but he is a livewire outsider to defeat a field which includes Tiger Woods and triumph in the Farmers Insurance Open.
Fowler enjoyed a fine first full season on the PGA Tour which secured the Rookie of the Year accolade and will be keen to build on this in his first tournament of 2011.
The 22-year-old did everything but win last season, finishing second on two occasions and making the cut in 20 of his 28 PGA Tour starts.
This consistency makes him great value at 16/1 in the Farmers Insurance Open betting to claim victory.
Other reasons why Fowler is likely to fare well in the event include that was fully in contention 12 months ago at Torrey Pines until a double bogey on the penultimate hole caused him to finish fifth.
Meanwhile, being a California native, Fowler is expected to take a liking to the potential windy conditions and the trials and tribulations of the style of greens that will feature.
Growing up playing coastal golf, Fowler will understand the demands of bumpy greens and showed his familiarity with this style of course on his latest California start, when also finishing in the top five in the Frys.com Open in October.
Furthermore, Fowler ended the 2010 season in decent form, producing an impressive performance on his Ryder Cup debut and then claiming three top-five finishes in his last five stroke-play events.
His youth and exuberance for the game should additionally mean that he should quickly settle back into the demands of tournament golf.
Other outsiders potentially worth keeping tabs on are 20/1 chance Nick Watney and decent putter Ryuji Imada, who can be backed at 50/1.
A £25 stake on Rickie Fowler winning the Farmers Insurance Open would return £400. New customers can sign up here for a free £25 bet.
