Presidents Day weekend is upon and can only mean one thing, the 80th Nissan Open is upon us. While lacking the star power of the AT&T the Nissan Open can still draw a crowd. Unlike last year, the weather should allow for all four rounds to be completed, which should make Tiger happy as he goes for his third win in as many starts. So can the rookies and young guns win an event when Tiger and Ernie are in the field? So far they’ve been able to get it done when facing Phil and Vijay. Let’s take a look at our prospects.
Tiger Woods
The guy has got a thing for twos. He’s two-for-two this year with two wins in two playoffs. He has never won the Nissan Open, although he’s finished runner-up here twice. How do you not pick him as one of your favorites this week? He is showing us that his 30-year-old body still has plenty of game, as if we doubted his birthday would change that.
Mike Weir
Technically he is the defending champion since Adam Scott’s weather-shortened win was not considered an official win. He won this event in 2003 and 2004 and despite his final round melt-down last week, has seemed to regain his stroke and confidence that once created the 2003 Masters Champion. I’m all for seeing another lefty do well this week.
Ernie Els
His swing is silky smooth and he won this event in 1999 beating some kid named Tiger by 14 strokes. Fast forward to 2006 where he just lost in a playoff to that same “kid” at the Dubai Desert Classic. Els has now finished second to Tiger more than any other player, a total of seven times. Ernie has already has a win since his knee surgery and with his performance at the Dubai it looks for now that he’s only missed one step in getting back to form.
Chad Campbell
The current points leader in the West Coast Swing, runner up here last year, runner up at this year’s Sony Open and winner of this year’s Bob Hope. This guy is proving, again, that he can be very competitive on the PGA Tour. Could 2006 be his year?
Rory Sabbatini
He’s a bit of a long shot but he finished T-2 here in 2002 and with a T-2 finish with Chad Campbell at this year’s Sony Open and a solo second last week, is making a resurgence of his own.
The Nissan Open is the seventh of nine events in the 2006 West Coast Swing presented by Allianz. Chad Campbell still holds the lead after his win at the Bob Hope and his T-2 finish at the Sony Open. Moving up to second is Rory Sabbatini with his T-2 at the Sony Open and second place finish at last week’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Stuart Appleby now drops to third with Scott Verplank and Vijay Singh rounding out the top five.
This year’s purse is $4.8 million with $864,000 going to the winner. The Nissan Open will be held at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, CA. From February 13-19, 2006 it can be seen on USA and ABC and heard on XM Radio at the following times:
Thu, 2/16 12-3pm ET USA Fri, 2/17 3-6pm ET USA Sat, 2/18 3-6pm ET ABC Sun, 2/19 3:30-6:30pm ET ABC
Thu, 2/16 12-6pm ET XM 146 Fri, 2/17 12-6pm ET XM 146 Sat, 2/18 12-6pm ET XM 146 Sun, 2/19 1-7pm ET XM 146
Riv can’t catch a break… two years in a row we get rain. Last year we nearly got taken out to sea.
Poor Tiger caught a cold… (cough, cough) 😉