Desert Classic: Jon Rahm ready to rumble in California

Sky Sports Golf, 8pm Thursday

Jon Rahm loves the courses used for the Desert Classic and has returned to the tournament this year as an ultra-confident defending champion who is unlikely to give up his title without a fight.

Rahm looks by far the best of the European contingent in California this week and the champ is a more than fair price at 6-4 to end the week as his continent's leading light.

Rahm has to beat Justin Rose, Russell Knox, Danny Willett, Martin Laird, Rory Sabbatini (who became a Slovakian citizen last month), Seamus Power, Stephan Jaeger, Alex Cejka and Sepp Straka to oblige in this market. The Europeans are high in quantity, but not quality, and the lone Spaniard in the field can dominate.

Rahm signed off for 2018 with a four-shot triumph in the Hero World Challenge, then opened his account for the new year with eighth place in the Sentry Tournament of Champions. His form figures in the Desert Classic are 34-1 and his other US Tour triumph – the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open – also came in California.

Rose has not teed up in this event since missing the cut in 2010. His final appearance of 2018 resulted in a miserable closing round of 75 for 17th place in the extremely low-grade Indonesian Masters and he has not competed since. In the meantime, his TaylorMade club contract has ended and the Englishman will be using his new Honma equipment for the first time in a tournament this week. Rahm has far superior credentials to Rose for the Classic.

Corey Conners enjoyed a superb Sony Open – qualifying for the event on Monday then firing a pair of 64s over the weekend to tie for third place – and the Canadian can be fancied to build on that healthy Hawaii outing with some more birdies in California. Conners looks a bargain at a shade of odds-on to defeat Lucas Glover over 72 holes.

Glover produced some X-rated putting at the end of last year and the Desert Classic is not an event where you can get away with flat-stick frailty.

San Diego man Phil Mickelson relishes the West Coast Swing of the US Tour and Lefty has been walking tall since defeating Tiger Woods in 'The Match', earning a $9m payday in the process. Phil The Thrill, a prolific champion in California and twice a winner of this event, can be fancied to comfortably outscore Kevin Kisner, who is far less comfortable in the Golden State and has played poorly in his two most recent tournaments, yet Betway make it a 10-11 your-choice contest.

Brian Gay, accurate from tee to green and deadly on the dancefloors, won this event in 2013 and looks a solid first-round twoball wager against Cameron Tringale (6.10pm UK and Ireland time). Each pro has an amateur partner, competing in fourballs, in this pro-am shindig.

Recommendations
J Rahm top European
3pts 6-4 Betfair, Power
C Conners to beat L Glover
2pts 20-21 BoyleSports
P Mickelson to beat K Kisner
2pts 10-11 Betway
B Gay to win twoball
2pts 8-11 Betfair, Power

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