Sal Johnson

Preview of the Shell Houston Open

Our picks page

March 28, 2007

By SAL JOHNSON
Publisher, GOLFOBSERVER
E-mail me at: Golfersal@aol.com

This week's field includes:

• The field includes 5 of the top 25 in the latest Official World Golf Rankings, with 2 from the top-10, Adam Scott and Padraig Harrington. The other 3 top 25 player in the field are David Howell, David Toms and K.J. Choi.
• The field includes one 4 of the top 25 of this years PGA Tour money list which proves that the Florida swing was a big success and a lot of folks are taking the week off. The only ones not in the field Charley Hoffman, K.J. Choi, Rocco Mediate and Adam Scott.
• This is a very hard fact to believe, but of the 22 different champions of this event since 1980 on one past champion is in the field, defending champion Stuart Appelby.

A perfect way for fantasy golfers to check on the past performance of all the players in the Shell Houston Open field are these performance charts, one with the players listed alphabetically and the other with the players listed by average finish.

One last way to check who is the best is through a special formula worked out in Golfstats that gives us the best average performances at the Shell Houston Open in the last five years.

Time to look at our who's hot and who isn't:

Who's Hot: (Those with *** are in the Shell Houston Open field)
Player	WGC-CA	BAY Hill	PODS	Honda	Accenture Mayakoba	Buick	AT&T	FBR	Buick	Hope
Vijay Singh	T11	Win	T19	DNP	T17	T29	T11	7	T39	DNP
Charles Howell III	T16	T56	T6	DNP	T9	Win	DNP	T23	2	T65
Tiger Woods	Win	T22	DNP	DNP	T9	DNP	DNP	DNP	Win	DNP
Henrik Stenson	T19	T22	DNP	DNP	Win	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Geoff Ogilvy	T3	T14	DNP	DNP	2	T51	DNP	Cut	DNP	DNP
Phil Mickelson	T23	T36	DNP	DNP	T17	2	Win	Cut	T51st	T45
Robert Allenby	T3	T32	DNP	T5	T33	T3	DNP	DNP	T9	T8
Aaron Baddeley	T6	T45	DNP	DNP	T9	T13	T19	Win	DNP	DNP
Sergio Garcia	T3	T5	T59	DNP	T17	6	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Mark Wilson	T25	T36	T38	Win	T66	DNP	T25	DNP	T31	T33
Mark Calcavecchia	T32	T28	Win	Cut	T41	DNP	DNP	Cut	T4	T8
Trevor Immelman	T35	T9	T43	DNP	3	T44	DNP	Cut	DNP	DNP
John Rollins	T28	T5	T19	DNP	T33	T18	DNP	2	Cut	2
Jose Coceres	DNP	DNP	DNP	T2	2	DNP	T44	DNP	DNP	DNP
Bart Bryant	T35	T18	T12	DNP	T33	T18	DNP	4	T7	Cut
Jim Furyk	T35	DNP	DNP	T31	T17	T3	T6	DNP	DNP	DNP
Paul Casey	T9	T14	DNP	DNP	T5	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
***Padraig Harrington	T19	DNP	DNP	T13	T17	7	T30	DNP	DNP	DNP
Ernie Els	T11	T18	DNP	DNP	T33	T3	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Brent Wetterich	2	DNP	Cut	T8	T33	DNP	Cut	T44	T23	DNP

Who's Not: (Those with *** are in the Shell Houston Open field)
Player	WGC-CA	BAY Hill	Pods	Honda	Accenture Mayakoba	Buick	AT&T	FBR	Buick	Hope
Todd Hamilton	DNP	Cut	Cut	Cut	DNP	Cut	Cut	Cut	72	Cut
***Kent Jones	DNP	DNP	Cut	Cut	DNP	Cut	Cut	T69	Cut	Cut
***Justin Leonard	DNP	T75	Cut	Cut	DNP	Cut	Cut	Cut	DNP	Cut
***Jason Gore	DNP	DNP	Cut	Cut	DNP	WD	Cut	Cut	Cut	T65th
***Wes Short, Jr.	DNP	DNP	Cut	T46	Cut	Cut	DNP	Cut	Cut	Cut
Shigeki Maruyama	DNP	Cut	T68	Cut	WD	T77	DNP	WD	Cut	DNP
***Brad Faxon	DNP	T56	T48	Cut	DNP	Cut	Cut	Cut	Cut	DNP

Who to Watch for at the Shell Houston Open:

Best Bets:

Adam Scott
2006	'05	'04	'03	'02	'01	'00	'99	'98	'97	'96
-	-	-	Cut	T6	T62	-	-	-	-	-

Full Shell Houston Open record

Full 2007 PGA Tour record

This course should suit his game, only thing holding him back is putting which he is working on.

K.J. Choi
2006	'05	'04	'03	'02	'01	'00	'99	'98	'97	'96
T6	-	T11	Cut	T51	T62	Cut	-	-	-	-

Full Shell Houston Open record

Full 2007 PGA Tour record

Played well last year, he loves to hit lots of greens and he lives in the Houston area, what better champion for this event.

Jose Maria Olazbal
2006	'05	'04	'03	'02	'01	'00	'99	'98	'97	'96
-	3	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-

Full Shell Houston Open record

Full 2007 PGA Tour record

Medium hitter that does hit lots of greens and loves to scramble, he is playing well just needs four consistent rounds.

Best of the rest:

Stuart Appleby
2006	'05	'04	'03	'02	'01	'00	'99	'98	'97	'96
T34	T44	-	T10	T9	-	-	-	-	-	-

Full Shell Houston Open record

Full 2007 PGA Tour record

Dominated things last year, same course could prove the tonic for another good week.

Lucas Glover
2006	'05	'04	'03	'02	'01	'00	'99	'98	'97	'96
T21	T27	T29	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Full Shell Houston Open record

Full 2007 PGA Tour record

Local boy looking to win again, this could be his type of course to do well on.

David Toms
2006	'05	'04	'03	'02	'01	'00	'99	'98	'97	'96
Cut	T34	-	T49	T17	T9	T27	-	-	Cut	Cut

Full Shell Houston Open record

Full 2007 PGA Tour record

Should have a bit of local knowledge since he helped design the course.

Padraig Harrington
2006	'05	'04	'03	'02	'01	'00	'99	'98	'97	'96
T32	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Full Shell Houston Open record

Full 2007 PGA Tour record

Working hard on the mental aspect of his game, he seems to do well in events before majors.

Steve Stricker
2006	'05	'04	'03	'02	'01	'00	'99	'98	'97	'96
3	T62	T19	Cut	Cut	-	Cut	T45	-	-	-

Full Shell Houston Open record

Full 2007 PGA Tour record

This event was the start of what turned Stricker's game around last week. Look for him to repeat the good play from last year.

Longshot's that could come through:

David Howell
2006	'05	'04	'03	'02	'01	'00	'99	'98	'97	'96
-	Cut	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Full Shell Houston Open record

Full 2007 PGA Tour record

European star that is trying to play out of a slump. Houston could prove good for him.

Bob Estes
2006	'05	'04	'03	'02	'01	'00	'99	'98	'97	'96
2	T39	-	-	-	-	-	T73	-	-	-

Full Shell Houston Open record

Full 2007 PGA Tour record

Surprised everyone last year so don't be surprised to see him surprise everyone this year.

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