Wednesday 8 October 2014 15:28, UK
Just two weeks on from the Ryder Cup, the new 2014/15 PGA Tour season kicks into action with the Frys.Com Open in California.
Four of those who battled it out at Gleneagles are in the field - Lee Westwood from winners Europe and Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan and Jimmy Walker from the losing Americans.
Walker is the defending champion this week although that victory came at CordeValle GC. This year's venue is Silverado Resort & Spa (North).
With a $900,000 first prize and $5m purse, it's a great chance to bank some early cash and also a late opportunity to earn a spot in the winners-only 2015 Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii - the event which used to kick off the new campaign before the wraparound schedule was introduced last year.
Six of the top 40 in the Official World Golf Rankings line up and Sky Bet make Walker and Kuchar the joint 14/1 favourites.
All four days will be shown live on Sky Sports
The course
Silverado Resort & Spa (North) is a 7,203-yard par 72 designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Johnny Miller and two partners bought Silverado in 2010, lengthening the course and widening its fairways. It had previously staged PGA Tour events - the Kaiser International Open Invitational from 1968 to 1976 and the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic from 1977 to 1980. The course also staged Champions Tour tournaments between1989 and 2002. The official Silverado Resort website says: "The picturesque course is a legend in the golf world, sprawling across 360 acres and featuring dozens of water crossings, elevation changes, and routing through oak, pine, and redwood trees." Winners of those PGA Tour events included Miller himself along with Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw while Lee Trevino, Tom Kite and Dave Stockton all scored Champions Tour wins there.
Selected Tee-times
Starting at hole 1
0715 Jarrod Lyle (Aus), Heath Slocum, Tom Gillis
0725 Carl Pettersson (Swe), Scott Langley, Troy Kelly
0735 D.A. Points, George McNeill, Mark Wilson
0745 Stuart Appleby (Aus), Scott Brown, Justin Leonard
0755 Kevin Streelman, Matthew Jones (Aus), Scott Stallings
0805 Charlie Beljan, Brendan Steele, Danny Lee (Nzl)
0815 Greg Owen (Eng), Scott Verplank, Michael Putnam
0825 Bo Van Pelt, Ricky Barnes, Luke Guthrie
0835 Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Jeff Overton, Alex Cejka (Ger)
0845 Andres Gonzales, David Lingmerth (Swe), Cameron Percy (Aus)
0855 Mark Hubbard, Tom Hoge, Gregor Main
0905 Zachary Blair, John Peterson, T. j. Vogel
1215 Shawn Stefani, Pat Perez, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa)
1225 Sean O'Hair, Nicholas Thompson, Brian Stuard
1235 Derek Ernst, John Merrick, Mike Weir (Can)
1245 Jonas Blixt (Swe), Ben Crane, Lee Westwood (Eng)
1255 Chesson Hadley, Brandt Snedeker, Charles Howell III
1305 John Huh, David Hearn (Can), Brooks Koepka
1315 Robert Streb, John Rollins, Justin Hicks
1325 Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Chad Campbell, Russell Knox (Sco)
1335 Adam Hadwin (Can), Justin Thomas, Max Homa
1345 Richard Sterne (Rsa), Kyle Reifers, Steve Wheatcroft
1355 Tyrone Van Aswegen (Rsa), Chez Reavie, Nick Taylor (Can)
1405 Jim Herman, Jon Curran, (x) Cameron Wilson
Starting at hole 10
0715 Martin Flores, Troy Merritt, Brice Garnett
0725 Kevin Chappell, Andres Romero (Arg), Andrew Svoboda
0735 Harrison Frazar, Lucas Glover, Davis Love III
0745 Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar, Jimmy Walker
0755 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Tim Clark (Rsa), Harris English
0805 Bryce Molder, Troy Matteson, Graham Delaet (Can)
0815 Brian Davis (Eng), Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn), James Hahn
0825 William McGirt, Scott Piercy, Billy Hurley III
0835 Brendon De Jonge (Zim), Cameron Tringale, Jim Renner
0845 Derek Fathauer, Carlos Ortiz (Mex), Sam Saunders
0855 Byron Smith, Blayne Barber, Patrick Rodgers
0905 Colt Knost, Jonathan Randolph, Mathew Goggin (Aus)
1215 J J Henry, Jason Gore, Daniel Summerhays
1225 Robert Allenby (Aus), Eric Axley, Chris Stroud
1235 Ken Duke, Martin Laird (Sco), Marc Leishman (Aus)
1245 Sang-moon Bae (Kor), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Retief Goosen (Rsa)
1255 Michael Thompson, Steven Bowditch (Aus), Vijay Singh (Fij)
1305 Tim Wilkinson (Nzl), Erik Compton, Ben Martin
1315 Robert Garrigus, Jason Kokrak, Kevin Kisner
1325 Jerry Kelly, Jason Bohn, Spencer Levin
1335 Whee Kim (Kor), Brad Fritsch (Can), Scott Pinckney
1345 Hudson Swafford, Steven Alker (Nzl), Ryan Armour
1355 Tony Finau, Zack Sucher, David Carr
1405 Daniel Berger, Andrew Putnam, Andy Miller
Conclusion
A new course pitting players who could do with a rest against those who may be rusty presents plenty of problems for those wanting to bet.
Sitting back and enjoying the action on Sky Sports before having a wager in-running is surely no bad strategy although it's always fun to try and predict who might shine before the first shot is struck.
One angle this week is that the field is crammed with plenty of hungry players who have just graduated from the Web.com Tour. Whilst the regulars may be lacking a little motivation, this is the chance for the new boys to shine.
Firstly, step forward Adam Hadwin, who won the combined Regular Season and Finals money list after two wins. His recent form across September and late October shows a win, a second, a seventh and a 10th so he's in hot form.
The Canadian has already dipped his toe on the main Tour and looked comfortable (eight cuts out of 11) but with a full card now in his back pocket he can show he belongs.
Strong recent greens in regulation figures suggest he'll enjoy this course so take some 80/1.
Derek Fathauer is a name that's already familiar to some given that he had a crack on the main tour several years ago. It didn't work out then but he seems to have found his mojo in 2014 and played some great golf to win the Web.com Tour Championship last month.
That capped a great run through the four Web.com Finals events so he's another who can hopefully carry his form through to the main tour.
His putter has been particularly hot in recent weeks and he should be flowing with confidence. Have the 100/1.
Justin Thomas is being touted as the 'sure-thing' of the Web.com grads and he certainly looks to have the credentials to flourish on a range of courses.
Only 21, he's already got an all-round game that is the envy of hardened pros and it all came together for him just two starts ago when he won the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship when hitting it long and straight, finding a bunch of greens and riding a hot putter.
He bagged a top 10 on the main tour in a star-studded field at Torrey Pines last season and that bodes well on many levels for his return to California.
Get used to the name as he could be a real star this season.
As well as backing the three Web.commers, let's end by having a little on a more established pro.
Pat Perez is a fine West Coast performer and looks to be raring to go again after tailing off at the back end of the last campaign when he withdrew from the second leg of the play-offs.
His last three starts in California have produced a second and a seventh and his one PGA Tour win came in the Golden State.
Perez has put in some hard work over the last couple of months and if it clicks he's capable of going low. Get stuck into the 125/1.
Best bets
1pt e.w. Adam Hadwin at 80/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt e.w. Derek Fathauer at 100/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt e.w. Justin Thomas at 66/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt e.w. Pat Perez at 125/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
