After last week’s marathon AT & T Pro Am which eventually lost a round to the weather, it’s good to get back to some ‘proper’ golf at the at the Riviera Country Club with the Northern Trust Open (formerly the Nissan Open).

Phil Mickelson once again heads the betting at 14/1 with totesport, despite his very poor form so far in 2009.  Another poor return at Pebble Beach last week suggests this run is a little more than a blip, so it’ll be interesting to see how he handles a course where he has won and finished second in the last two years.

Mike Weir is a man in form, with a second and a third in his last three tournaments.  The Canadian is a 16/1 shot with totesport although you have to go all the way back to 2004 for some real course form, although he did win it!

Last weeks tips Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh have slipped in the betting to 28/1 and 25/1 respectively from before last weeks tournament.  Neither players took to their first action for a while particularly well, with the big man from Fiji missing the cut.  They say Vijay plays better the more he plays so it could be a good time to back him here, although again, he has no real course form to speak of in recent visits.

Luke Donald has caught the eye of a few punters, with ball striking a key to playing the Riviera Club well he’s on the shortlist for many.  After a week off he comes here fresh and has course form in the shape of a 12th and 3rd in his last three visits.

Robert Allenby catches the eye with third and seventh placed finishes in his previous two visits.  He’s been lightly raced so far in 2009 but a 15th place finish in the Abu Dhabi Championship and a 3rd in the Aussie Masters he’s in good touch.  At 33/1 he might worth a dabble each-way with totesport.

Another player who hasn’t seen much of the course in 2009 is Justin Rose.  The young Englishman had been in the doldrums through much of 2008 and his prices have lengthened in the tournaments he’s played this year.  He’s a whopping 50/1 here this week and after taking a couple of weeks off after finishing second to Rory McIlroy in Dubai he comes here in good nick.  There are question marks over his course form but playing well he could make a mockery of that 50/1 price.

There are value claims for a few other players on the European Tour players here as conditions are set to be cool and blowy.  Graeme McDowell has had a quiet start to the year but at 80/1 could represent some value if conditions suit.  Another over priced player is Indian Jeev Milka Singh, a 100/1 shot with totesport.  Singh has two top twenty finishes in his last two tournaments, both in the ultra competitive ‘Dubai Swing’ and although has no course form to speak of could well be over-priced here.

For all your golf betting this week visit totesport.