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Shell Houston Open features top players

The 2009 Shell Houston Open, which begins Thursday at Redstone Golf Club in Humble, features eight of the world’s top 10 players, including three-time champion Vijay Singh and the world’s No. 2 golfer Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson is making his second consecutive appearance in this tournament, will attempt to add to his 36 career victories by winning his first SHO. Although the tournament will not feature Tiger Woods, the No.-1 ranked player in the world and the face of the PGA Tour, it should be one of the best SHOs of all time.

The highly-ranked players in the field have built a lot of hype for this year’s tournament. Sergio Garcia (No. 3), Geoff Ogilvy (No. 4), Padraig Harrington (No. 5), Singh (No. 6), Robert Karlsson (No. 7), Camilo Villegas (No. 8) and Henrik Stenson (No. 10) are scheduled to tee off at Redstone.

Defending champion and course record co-holder Johnson Wagner will defend his title this weekend, but will have his hands full against the Tour’s elite players and the Woodlands’ own K.J. Choi (No. 23).

UH alumni Fred Couples and Steve Elkington will also play at Redstone, looking to win in the city where they won national championships. Couples won the 2003 SHO at Redstone.

The competition is remarkable, considering most golfers take the week off before the Masters to rest and practice before the first and biggest major of the year. There is no clear-cut favorite to win this tournament. Ogilvy and Mickelson rank first and second, respectively, on the PGA Tour’s money list. Stuart Appleby, Singh and Couples have all won this event, but they aren’t playing great golf right now. Nick Watney and Kenny Perry, are not in the field because they are preparing for the Masters.

Wagner cannot defend his title because he is not playing as well as he was a year ago. Redstone suits his style of play, but competing alongside Mickelson, Singh and Garcia could intimidate the 29-year-old.

Ryder Cup player and young star Anthony Kim (No. 14) and teen sensation Rory McIlroy (No. 17), are both dark horses to win the tournament because they can drive the ball exceptionally, and their youth provides excitement in their games that can surprise players who have more experience.

I predict fan favorite Phil ‘Lefty’ Mickelson will win the SHO. The two-time Masters champion knows the importance of playing well going into the Masters, so expect him to be extremely focused.

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