Date: January 11, 2007
Author: Sportal

Green seen as favourite

Sportal Nathan Green will lead the Australian charge at the Sony Open in Hawaii starting on Thursday, a tournament many predict he can win this year after an impressive fifth placing in the 2006 event which was his first as a PGA Tour member. Green improved again during his second outing on the Tour by reaching a play-off at the Buick Invitational against Tiger Woods and Jose Maria Olazabal, only to be eliminated on the first play-off hole. His early season efforts went a long way to helping him finish the year as the third best rookie on the PGA Tour collecting US$1.7 million along the way. Green will be joined by fifteen other Australians including Robert Allenby, Mark Hensby and Geoff Ogilvy in the Sony Open field, the first full field event on the US Tour for 2007. The Newcastle golfer has showed promising form during the summer, finishing in the top 10 of both the Australian Open and PGA tournaments. Green also won his first European Tour event carding a final round 65 to claim victory in the New Zealand Open. American David Toms will be out to defend his title in 2007 after carding a 9-under par course record of 61 in the third-round last year to set up a five-shot victory. All eyes will again be on Michelle Wie as she attempts to make her first cut in a PGA event having failed in her past three attempts at the Hawaii event. World No. 3 Adam Scott will miss the Sony Open having taking time off following his second placing behind Fijian Vijay Singh at the Mercedes Benz Championship last week.