This week on PGA Tour: Byron Nelson Classic
Unfortunately this week’s PGA Tour stop, the Byron Nelson Classic outside of Dallas, is being overshadowed by the news that world No. 2 Phil Mickelson is leaving the Tour indefinitely because of his wife’s breast cancer.
Amy Mickelson’s treatment process is expected to begin with major surgery, possibly within the next two weeks. Mickelson was scheduled to play the Byron Nelson Championship beginning Thursday (he was the opening WagerWeb.com favorite) and defend his Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial title next week.
There is now a very real chance he could miss June’s U.S. Open at Bethpage as well; Lefty was runner-up in the 2002 at the New York public course.
As for this week, Adam Scott is the defending champion of the Nelson. The Aussie made a 9-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to force a playoff, then made a 48-footer playing it again on the third playoff hole to beat Ryan Moore last year.
But Scott has fallen on hard times since then. He has dropped to 32nd in the World Rankings and has missed five straight Tour cuts. Scott has played his last 14 rounds in a combined 26-over par. His low round was an opening 71 at the Masters. He ranks 162nd in scoring (71.96).
The WagerWeb.com favorite at +1000 to win this week is Englishman Ian Poulter. In seven PGA Tour events this year, he has missed only one cut. In the other six events he hasn’t finished worse than a tie for 20th. In his most recent four events Poulter has gotten better: a tie for 20th at the Masters, a tie for 13th in New Orleans, a tie for fifth in Charlotte, and a solo second at The Players Championship. He has a good history at the Byron Nelson, tying for third in 2007.
Texan Justin Leonard is a second-favorite on WagerWeb.com at +1500, and he always plays well in his home state. The Dallas native has only had one top 10 at the Nelson, but he’s coming off a tie for fifth at last week’s Valero Texas Open.
Vijay Singh won the 2003 Nelson and is now the highest-ranked player in the world in this field with Mickelson out. Singh is +1850 to win on WagerWeb.com.
David Toms (+1500) has five top-10s in 11 starts this year, including a tie for ninth at the Players. He hasn’t played in Dallas since missing the cut in 2004, but Toms tied for sixth and fourth the two previous years at the Nelson.
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