Despite not taking home a trophy at a PGA Tour event in over two years and falling to 51st in the World Golf Rankings, Tiger Woods is still considered the favorite this weekend at the Fry's.com Open At CordeValle Resort in San Martin, CA.
Bodog.com lists Woods' odds of winning the tournament at 7/1, with last week's winner Kevin Na, Englishman Paul Casey, and Sacramento native Spencer Levin as his closest competitors at 25/1. Ernie Els, who recently added his name to the 132 man field this week, comes in at 28/1 along with South African Louis Oosthuizen, while Ben Crane, Brandt Jobe, Bryce Molder and Chad Campbell round out the top 10 at 33/1.
There are a few sleepers in this field as well, like last year's cha,pion Rocco Mediate, coming in at 125/1. He obviously knows the course well enough to win here, and who knows, maybe seeing Tiger out there again will spark some memories from the 2008 U.S. Open and get him fired up. There's also California native Paul Goydos coming in at 50/1, always a steady competitor and fan favorite, he very well could be doing the trophy-kissing this weekend.
The fact that Tiger gets the best odds says to me that he still is a force to be reckoned with out there, even though his play as of late may not say the same. Everyone is watching and waiting for the 'old Tiger' to come roaring back, and when I say everyone, I mean those putting the money down as well. I mean, come on, he's going to draw a lot of bets, and he's got to win one here sometime. All the players know that when (not if but when) Tiger has that breakout weekend, the sheriff will be back in town, and that's just what we're all waiting for.