Choi - can bag another trophy.

By Dave Tindall

Sky Bet's Odds Compare All Prices

BETTING BOX
FIXED ODDS
	2pts e.w. K.J. Choi at 33/1 (Boylesports, Ladbrokes 1/4 1,2,3,4,5).	Already a winner this season and controlled fade perfect for Riviera.
	1pt e.w. Stuart Appleby at 40/1 (bet365, VC Bet 1/4 1,2,3,4,5).	Strong start to the season with finishes of 8th and 4th and past top three here.
	1pt e.w. Aaron Baddeley at 50/1 (bet365, Boylesports, Ladbrokes 1/4 1,2,3,4,5).	Has the game for this course as he's shown in the past. 13th at Torrey Pines.
	1pt e.w. Jeff Quinney at 100/1 (General 1/4 1,2,3,4,5).	West Coast specialist and close to several big finishes this year. Ninth on debut here in 2007.

With so many doglegs right, Riviera Country Club is often described as "a fader's paradise".

Ben Hogan made hay here with his legendary controlled fade, winning three times across 1947 and 1948 including a two-shot victory in the US Open. No wonder Riviera went on to be known as "Hogan's Alley".

Famous faders such as Fred Couples and Corey Pavin have since shown the advantage of left-to-right hitting with two wins apiece and both could well make the top 10 again this year at an event (traditionalists look away) now known as the Northern Trust Open.

But it's another renowned fader of the ball who is my 33/1 headline pick.

K.J. Choi started to perfect the shot when teaming up with Aussie coach Steve Bann at the end of 2006.

Since then, Choi's consistent fade has helped him to three US Tour wins, including this year's Sony Open in Hawaii.

"I think the shots that I'm hitting since last year, the cut shots, are really helping out," said Choi after his first round at the Sony. "I think this course you have to hit a lot of fades, and it's good to have a cut shot in your bag."

The small greens and often windy conditions at Riviera also draw parallels with Waialae Country Club so it's no surprise that many players have done well on both courses.

That includes Choi, who was fifth here in 2003, 13th in 2005, 22nd in 2007 and has never missed a cut in seven visits.

Looking at his stats at Riviera down the years, Choi was top for greens in regulation in 2003 and, showing his improved performance with the flatstick, fifth in putting last year.

Since his Sony Open win a month ago, he's missed the cut at Torrey Pines but bounced back with a solid top 20 in the FBR Open.

Choi closed with a 66 in Phoenix and but for a Saturday 74 could have been in serious contention.

The South Korean seems to flourish when all the top players gather - he beat stellar line-ups, including Tiger Woods, to win at Memorial and Congressional last year - and that's certainly the case this week with 17 of the world's top 20 teeing it up.

With bags of recent winning experience and a pedigree of beating cracking fields on classic courses, Choi makes plenty of appeal at 33/1.

Overseas players have a fine record at Riviera, especially the Aussies.

Steve Elkington won the 1995 USPGA here, while Robert Allenby (2001) and Adam Scott (2005) are recent winners of this event.

That trio are back for another crack and Scott is obviously a big runner after he shot a final round 61 to win the Qatar Masters on his last start.

Scott was also a runner-up at Riviera in 2006 although it's also worth remembering that his 2005 win came over 36 holes and isn't actually recognised as a victory on his list of US Tour wins.

His second place the following year was achieved with a fast-finishing 64 so maybe those form figures of 1-2 just flatter him a little. He's certainly short enough at 14/1.

But another Aussie, Aaron Baddeley, does make appeal at 50s.

As a previous runner-up in the Sony Open and 54-hole leader in the 2007 US Open at Oakmont, Badds can flourish at these old-fashioned courses and at Riviera he's shown plenty of signs of promise.

He was seventh in the rain-shortened event in 2005 while last year he shot all four rounds under par to finish tied 13th.

With the greens this year reported to be rolling as well as anyone can remember, Baddeley's ace putting could be the key and having finished 13th at Torrey Pines (fourth going into the final round) and won in his native Australia at the end of 2007 he has the form to challenge.

A second Aussie also makes the staking plan - Stuart Appleby.

Apples normally makes the early headlines each year by winning the season-opening Mercedes Championship but the lack of a win in 2007 meant he didn't qualify for the winners' only event in Hawaii.

However, he made an immediate impression when making his 2008 US Tour debut at Torrey Pines where he finished eighth and he improved on that to finish fourth in the FBR Open two weeks ago.

Tag that onto a fifth place in the Australian Open and third in the Australian Masters at the end of 2007 and Appleby is in seriously good nick.

A third at Riviera in 2004 gives us some course form and that year he topped the greens in regulation stats.

The eight-time US Tour winner is 2nd in Scoring Average and 3rd in the All-Around ranking this season so with his game looking sharp he looks a tasty wager at 40s.

Further down the betting, former US Amateur champ Jeff Quinney looks an interesting proposition.

Last year, he took the West Coast Swing by storm with a run of 4-7-3-9 from Bob Hope to Nissan and, without quite hitting the same heights, he's impressed again this year.

He was 29th at Torrey Pines after starting Sunday in tied eighth, closed with a 66 to finish tied 17th in Phoenix and was left to rue a final round quadruple bogey nine on the 14th at Pebble Beach last week which turned a top five into a tied 24th.

But Quinney has dropped enough hints to suggest that he's close to putting it all together.

Last year's ninth place comprised rounds of 70-70-67-69 and if he can find that consistency again the 100/1 could look massive.

Phil Mickelson missed the cut last week and made headlines on Saturday after taking an 11. But he actually had 16 putts for birdie in that round so it was the flatstick which was just as much to blame.

Of course, Mickelson only lost out in a play-off here last year so the idea, based on past visits, that Riviera just isn't his track looks a little flawed.

Nevertheless, he came here last year flying high after a commanding victory at Pebble Beach so maybe he was just riding the wave.

Mickelson could be a big factor again but with his putter looking cold I'm prepared to pass him by at 10s.

So Choi it is to claim another win while Appleby, Baddeley and Quinney can push him all the way.