Course specialist out to claim Copperhead crown again
Fresh from helping Lake Nona take victory in the Tavistock Cup, Retief Goosen will be hoping to score a third victory in the Transitions Championship at the Copperhead course at Innisbrook Resort.
Goosen scored a one-shot victory in this event two years ago while he first triumphed at the Florida track in 2003 when the tournament was known as the Chrysler Championship and held in October.
The South African prepared for his latest title bid with a strong performance in the four-team Tavistock Cup held in Florida on Monday and Tuesday.
In Monday's first round better ball stroke play he and US Open champion Graeme McDowell combined for a best-of-the-day 12-under 60.
And in Tuesday's singles he posted a one-under 71 to help Lake Nona to a convincing victory.
Goosen says the Copperhead course has always been a good fit for him.
"It's a hard course. You've got to play well. To my eye it sets up very good and I tend to see the shots around here pretty good," he said.
Betting
Goosen is rated 25/1 joint third favourite to win again but the head of the market belongs to world number one Martin Kaymer and last week's WGC-Cadillac Championship winner Nick Watney.
Both players are rated 11/1 shots to take victory.
This will be Kaymer's first start in this event but Watney will be playing here for the sixth year in a row. Watney has improved his result each year with his finishes reading: 58th-48th-23rd-12th-4th.
Ranked alongside Goosen at 25s are Paul Casey and Bubba Watson.
Casey has played in this event just once - finishing 42nd in 2008 - but Watson, a winner at Torrey Pines earlier this year, was third last year and is healthy again after pulling out of last week's WGC-Cadillac Championship with 'flu.
Other Europeans taking part include Padraig Harrington, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and Martin Laird.
Outsider
And interesting outsider could be Troy Matteson.
The American lost in a play-off in last week's other PGA Tour event - the Puerto Rico Open - while he's a former runner-up on this course.
When he won in Las Vegas in 2006, he finished second at Disney the following week to show that he's capable of putting in big back-to-back finishes.
A move to a belly putter has helped him claim two top 10s in 2011 and he could cause a shock. Sky Bet rate him a 70/1 chance.