The Starter: Round 1, Northern Trust Open

text size

Feb. 4, 2010

The Northern Trust Open is set to begin at Riviera CC. Here's a look at Thursday's round:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
10:34 a.m., Hole No. 1		Stewart Cink, Rory Sabbatini, Scott Verplank Watch out for Sabbatini, the 2010 SBS runner-up, who has finished in the top 10 four times at Riviera.
10:23 a.m. ET, Hole No. 10		Nick Watney, Padraig Harrington, Jim Furyk Both Harrington and Furyk are past major champions who are looking to return to the winner's circle after droughts.
3:14 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1		Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Robert Allenby Mickelson's the favorite this week, but Allenby could take home another Northern Trust Open title.

MORE ROUND 1: Tee times | Inside the field | Inside the courses
FANTASY GOLF: Power Rankings | Fantasy Insider | Play our game ... free!

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR NETWORK on-site correspondent Michael Collins previews Thursday's first round:

The stars aren't just out in Hollywood. This week they're at Riviera, too, as almost all the big boys have come out to play the Northern Trust Open. As many times as we hear how much these guys love old-school golf courses, the field depth proves it.

Here's how I'm seeing things shaking out on Thursday:

Thursday's forecast

Cloudy
Temp: 62 high/49 low
Cloudy with winds from the SSE at 8 mph.

Phil's crowds are going to be huge. And not just because he's taken the Ping wedge out of the bag, but also because he's playing with -- at least the girls call him this -- heartthrob Adam Scott and the guy who's been on fire early this year, Robert Allenby. Of course, in the morning Y.E. Yang, Pat Perez and Vijay Singh have a chance to get off to a quick start. Singh and Perez are good friends and hopefully can feed off of each other or battle one another. Yang, now with a sponsor for his big TOUR bag, can get back to the form we saw last year when he won the PGA Championship.

With a perfect forecast for the first round -- and a course that held up well after all the rain it got the last two weeks -- the PGA TOUR should get off to a hot start in LA.

INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER: Steve Voguit, head instructor at the TOUR Academyat World Golf Village, analyzes the playing conditions at Riviera.

The first round of the 2010 Northern Trust Open will soon be under way. Two-time defending champion Phil Mickelson faces one of the strongest fields of the season at Riviera and, if he is to successfully defend his title, it will require yet another phenomenal showing. Aside from cool, damp temperatures, the playing conditions are primarily favorable with very little influence from what can be a debilitating wind. As a result, watch for the players to take a more aggressive strategy.

While playing golf, we must remember we always have options. A good practice is to allow for three specific shot options after assessing our lie: the save, the advancement or the spectacular. The spectacular will be more demanding, thus we must have the proper conditions and be highly confident in our ability to pull the shot off. Look for the game's greats to choose more spectacular shot choices on Thursday due to the favorable weather conditions.

The Film Room

	Preview: Northern Trust Open The PGA TOUR's best head to famed Riviera Country Club where Phil Mickelson looks to defend his title at the Northern Trust Open. Watch it
	Memorable moments Through the years the Northern Trust Open has showcased some great champions and memorable moments. Watch it
	PGA TOUR Today John Swantek previews the 2010 Northern Trust Open where Phil Mickelson looks to make it three wins in a row at historic Riviera Country Club. Watch it