Be brave and back Bubba
Betting tips 
/ Dan Geraghty / 05 January 2012 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market
His debut performance here last year was nothing to write home about, but with that experience behind him, perhaps we can expect better this week
In the Tournament of Champions, Dan Geraghty is kicking of 2012 by getting behind a player he thinks will rise above an average showing last year.
Last week Bubba Watson's [19.0] twitter feed informed me that the big left-hander very recently hit his lowest round ever, coming home in just 58 shots. With little to no recent form to go on this week, that little nugget of info is enough for me to include Bubba in my first column of the new season. His debut performance here last year was nothing to write home about, but with that experience behind him, perhaps we can expect better this week on a long course that will potentially suit the bombers (Robert Garrigus was second here last year).
I've been championing Gary Woodland [19.0] as my great hope for the season and given the way he started last year I am hoping he'll make a fast start once more. Woodland will be making his debut in this event, but that didn't stop him winning the Transitions tournament last season. In a weaker than usual looking season opener, the young American is a strong fancy.
Stuart Appleby and Geoff Ogilvy have between them given Australians a fantastic recent record in this event (five wins between them in the last eight years), if Aaron Baddeley [24.0] can match the standard of his recent Presidents Cup performances, he has a great chance of keeping that record up. I can forgive Baddeley his mauling by an inspired Tiger Woods in the Presidents Cup singles and Tiger's failure to win an official PGA Tour event last season means he hasn't received an invite here.
Dangers: Last year's Money List runner up Webb Simpson [10.0] has no Luke Donald to fear in this field and it'll be interesting to see how he bounces back from that near miss. Nick Watney [10.5] appears to be very popular this week, he was fifth here in 2005 and started 2011 very strongly indeed. Sean O'Hair [28.0] likes it here, he was in the top five in both 2009 and 2010 with very low totals.
Selections: Bubba Watson [19.0], Gary Woodland [19.0], Aaron Baddeley [24.0]
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