Golf Matchup Betting: Former Masters winner coming off of surgery

Trevor Immelman has been through a lot of distraction and discomfort over the last couple of years, as he has tried to get his game back together. Now coming off surgery, the 2008 Masters champion is ready to launch what he hopes will be a successful 2010 season when he tees it up at TPC Scottsdale in the Phoenix Open.

Let's take a look at the betting matchup he's involved in, as well as another hopeful who lives right in Scottsdale, as they are posted at BetUS Sportsbook:

TREVOR IMMELMAN -105

NATHAN GREEN -125

The 30-year-old Immelman has won twice in America on the PGA Tour, but on both of those occasions it has been big; in 2006 he won the Western Open by two strokes over Tiger Woods, and two years ago he captured the Masters title by three strokes, again over Woods. For that Masters triumph he had come back from being treated for a calcified fibrosis tumor, which really added to the story.

He developed tendinitis in his elbow last year, and that killed the second half of the year for the most part, along with an injury to his wrist. In fact, he has not played at all since the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship back in October. He has since had surgery on his wrist.

Coming off only a pair of Top 20 finishes last year, he makes his 2010 debut in this Phoenix Open event, where he tied for 20th back in 2006. As he comes back, he is with a liquor sponsor, which is allowed now by the PGA, and he'll be endorsing Gentleman Jack Whiskey.

Australian Nathan Green came off the Nationwide Tour to make it onto the big tour in 2006, and right out of the box he had a fifth-place finish, then lost in a playoff to Tiger Woods in the Buick Invitational. He's captured one victory on the PGA Tour thus far, and that was a playoff in the Canadian Open over Retief Goosen. Green was 8th at the Sony Open, with three rounds in the sixties. In the last three years at Phoenix, he's tired for 48th, 50th and 54th, and I wonder of that gives him an edge over Immelman, unless people are figuring Immelman can make enough birdies to make the cut.

EDGE: IMMELMAN (-105)

BOO WEEKLEY -130

KEVIN STREELMAN EVEN

Weekley is best known for his colorful presence at the 2008 Ryder Cup, as well as his sensational golf, which was highlighted by his big singles victory over Oliver Wilson on Sunday that helped propel the United States to victory. As one of three Ruder Cup rookies, he was the lowest ranked but stood out just as much as Ben Curtis and Anthony Kim.

He also finished in the top ten at the PGA Championship that year, and won the Verizon Heritage two years running (2007 and 2008). He is from Jay, Florida, which makes me feel good, because maybe the town is named after me. He is a pretty big hitter, which is good for this course, and that helped him to a tie for ninth place in Phoenix in 2008.

Kevin Streelman tied for tenth at the Bob Hope Classic to start his season, shooting 22 strokes under par. He shot 69 for each of the last three rounds in a solid, if not spectacular effort at Phoenix last year, finishing in a tie for 35th. He played in one major last year, the PGA, and didn't make the cut. He can show some brilliance, as he did in tying for the lead after the first round of the U.S. Open in 2008, but he's got to be able to sustain it.