Only one tune-up left before Tiger Woods turns the Masters into the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n
The Shell Houston Open, played at the Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club, rewards both long hitters and\/or birdie makers (thanks to the large putting surfaces).<\/p>\n
Date<\/strong>: Thursday April 01 – Sunday April 4th CLICK HERE TO BET ON GOLF TODAY AT BETUS.COM \u2014\u2013><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Our potential picks this week include a bit of everything: boomers, putters and guys who are simply hot right now.<\/p>\n Ernie Els<\/strong><\/p>\n Shell Houston Open odds: +1200<\/p>\n If the season ended today, he\u2019d be the unanimous choice for Player of the Year. Locking down the Arnold Palmer Invitational yesterday gave him back-to-back wins. It\u2019s tough to go against the Big Easy when he\u2019s on \u2013 but what about the fatigue factor? You have to wonder if he\u2019ll eventually crash after playing so many consecutive tournaments.<\/p>\n Paul Casey<\/strong><\/p>\n Shell Houston Open odds: +1200<\/p>\n The defending champ wasn\u2019t a fluke winner last year. He\u2019s a beast off the tee, he\u2019s strong with the putter and his game is in a good place right now. In seven starts this season worldwide, he\u2019s made the top 11 six times. He\u2019s due to bust out, so why not do so at the course where his confidence will be sky-high?<\/p>\n Padraig Harrington<\/strong><\/p>\n Shell Houston Open odds: +1800<\/p>\n Harrington hasn\u2019t finished better than 24th<\/sup> at Redstone but his game is steadily warming up \u2013 he has two straight top-eight finishes. While he hasn\u2019t made too many birdies this year (127th<\/sup> in average), he\u2019s seventh in scoring average, so he\u2019s capable of going low this week. Hunter Mahan<\/strong><\/p>\n Shell Houston Open odds: +2500<\/p>\n Here\u2019s your rock-solid middle-of-the-road pick, as he qualifies as a highly educated guess but also gives you better value than the other favorites. Mahan has three top-15 finishes in his last four starts at the Shell Houston Open. Last year, he finished 11th<\/sup> and led the field in greens hit. Toss in a victory already this season and we also know Mahan is playing good golf right now. I can\u2019t blame anyone for picking him.<\/p>\n Fred Couples<\/strong><\/p>\n Shell Houston Open odds: +4000<\/p>\n I dare you to find a more fun pick this week. The big question with Couples: has he dominated the Champions Tour (three straight wins) simply because the field is weak or is his game truly on fire? Don\u2019t be so sure he isn\u2019t legit. His last two finishes at the Shell Houston Open: third and fourth. And that was the \u201cwashed up\u201d Couples. What can the sizzling Couples do?<\/p>\n Matt Kuchar<\/strong><\/p>\n Shell Houston Open odds: +4500<\/p>\n He\u2019s a sneaky \u201csleeper\u201d who really isn\u2019t a sleeper when you look at the numbers to back him up. Check out these stats: three top-three finishes in 2009; first on Tour in scoring average, birdie average and par-four performance; sixth in putting; 29th<\/sup> in greens in regulation. Everything points to Kuchar tearing up Redstone, even though he missed the cut in his only other start there.<\/p>\n Hunter Mahan will draw a lot of interest this week \u2013 and for good reason. But my gut screams Kuchar. He\u2019s playing as well as anyone on Tour without a win this season, so that tells me he\u2019s next in line to triumph.<\/p>\n
\nEvent<\/strong>: Shell Houston Open
\nCourse<\/strong>: Redstone GC Tournament Course, Humble, Texas
\nPurse<\/strong>: $5,800,000
\nDefending Champ<\/strong>: Paul Casey
\nFedEX Cup Points Up For Grabs<\/strong>: 500<\/p>\nTHE CONTENDERS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
SOLID PICKS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nTHE SLEEPERS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
THE PICK<\/strong><\/h3>\n