munneypicks

2015 Northern Trust Open

Tournament: Our last week in California comes to an end at the Northern Trust Open just outside of Los Angeles. This tournament will be a regular 36 hole cut all played on the same course. The host course has been the site of this tournament since 1973 so quite a bit of course data to be had.

Course: Riviera Country Club is sometimes referred to as “Hogan’s Alley” and would suggest that ball strikers will have an advantage here. There are just three par 5’s here and plays to a par 71. Below are some course stats:

Par 71
7,279 Yards
Slope Rating: 137
Course Rating: 75.6
Water Hazards: 0
Bunkers: 60
Avg Green Size: 5000 sq ft

Field: Just over 135 players in the field this week so it is a bit smaller than a normal PGA field but some big names will tee it up here along with some past winners. This list includes Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia, Bill Haas, and Brandt Snedeker.

What to Look For: Some courses have distinct advantages for certain players, but it’s hard to find what really stands out at Riviera. However, recent success and course success have proven good indicators of upcoming achievement here. Course experience is important as well as in the last 10 years, only Adam Scott has won this tournament in less than his fourth start. Scott won here in his first appearance but is obviously a world class talent. Knowing your way around the course and having some recent success seems to be the ticket to finding your way to the winners circle here.

Free Pick:

Webb Simpson e/w: I struggled between Simpson here and another strong player at a similar price and a few things give Webb the edge. This will be his 4th showing here and has two top 15 finishes. He also has two top 15 finishes this calendar year. Webb is an excellent player tee to green and has a U.S. Open to his name so will not be overcome by the moment on Sunday.

For all plays, visit us at: 

www.progolfmoves.com/chris-munney-1.html

Chris Munney
@munneypicks
www.progolfmoves.com
www.munneypicks.com