The first stop on the U.S. mainland gets underway this week in La Quinta, California when the 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge kicks off. The tournament is now a four day event, changing from the five-day marathon.
Two-time winner of the event, Phil Mickelson + 3695 and Open Championship title holder Zach Johnson + 1845 join 2014 champion Patrick Reed + 900 and defending champion Bill Haas + 2752 as the headliners in the desert.
Other notable players scheduled to compete include Luke Donald + 5750, Jason Dufner + 3298, Matt Kuchar + 1843 and Kevin Na + 3054.
Three courses will be used this week. TPC Stadium Course at PGA West will be used as the host course, something it hasn’t done in 29 years. The event’s pro-am format also will utilize PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament course and La Quinta Country Club in the first three rounds. TPC Stadium is the toughest of the three and it will remind you of TPC Sawgrass - there is water all over the place and if players aren’t careful, you will see some big numbers.
With perfect weather in store, the players will take it deep and you can expect 20 under par to be the target score. This will be another week filled with birdies and eagles.
TV Coverage: Thursday-Sunday, 3-7 p.m. ET - GOLF
The CareerBuilder Challenge Golf Odds courtesy of BookMaker Sportsbook:
Patrick Reed + 900
Matt Kuchar + 1843
Zach Johnson + 1845
Bill Haas + 2752
Kevin Na + 3054
Ryan Palmer + 2755
Phil Mickelson + 3695
Jason Bohn + 3962
Jason Dufner + 3908
Webb Simpson + 3962
Charley Hoffman + 4010
Marc Leishman + 4500
Robert Streb + 5047
Brendan Steele + 5036
Charles Howell III + 5050
David Lingmerth + 5244
Francesco Molinari + 5750
Graham DeLaet + 5595
Matt Jones + 4750
Luke Donald + 5750
Russell Henley + 5746
Zac Blair + 5750
Billy Horschel + 6500
Daniel Summerhays + 6050
Cameron Tringale + 6500
Kevin Chappell + 6500
Smylie Kaufman + 8030
Tony Finau + 6244
William McGirt + 8050
Brian Harman + 9050
Si Woo Kim + 7034
Harold Varner III + 8492
Anirban Lahiri + 8500
Nick Watney + 8485
Jerry Kelly + 9500
Patton Kizzire + 7488
Scott Brown + 10050
Will Wilcox + 9800
John Senden + 10676
Jamie Lovemark + 9500
Peter Malnati + 11050
Fredrik Jacobson + 8050
Tim Clark + 10550
Hudson Swafford + 10050
Boo Weekley + 11868
Ollie Schniederjans + 8490
Steve Stricker + 9990
Brendon De Jonge + 10432
Johnson Wagner + 11028
FIELD - Any other player + 220
ODDS ANALYSIS
Who do you think is the 23rd ranked player in the world? If you said, Kevin Na + 3054, you had it right, but only the real serious golf fan would get it right. Na is one of the most underrated players in the world! He churns out top five finishes on a monthly basis and when he gets going, he does it every week. He is so overdue for a win and this tournament owes him one after his playoff loss here a few years back.
With two new courses in the rotation this year, rookies may thrive. Two to keep your eye on are Si Woo Kim + 7034 and Patton Kizzire + 7488. Kim has reeled off four top 25’s to start out his career including a career best T4 last week in Hawaii. His peers are oozing at this kids raw talent and beautiful swing. Kizzire won the money title last year on the Web.com Tour and already has two top three’s on his resume. Both players should fare well this week and both players offer gamers great value.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker sportsbook.The CareerBuilder Challenge is scheduled for January 21-24, 2016.PGA West TPC Stadium Course will host the tournament. Golf Channel will televise the event live.
