Y.E. Yang hits the links today in The Honda Classic to defend his title in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. A year ago, few people had even heard of the South Korean player. But a 2009 Honda Classic title and a win over Tiger Woods in the PGA Championship put him in the spotlight as the first Asian player to win a major.

Yang (Ladbrokes, Eurobet 11/8), ranked #27 in the world, finished strong last week in the Waste Management Phoenix Open and could be the latest return champion on the PGA Tour this week. He is five for five in tournament cuts so far this year and cracked the top ten in three of those. Yang’s good all-around game should do well on the Champion Course if he repeats the ball striking he showed on Sunday. The course is filled with potential hazards and the final eight holes have some very difficult pin placements.

Look for Tim Clark to do well in this one as he ranks fifth in fairways hit. Rory McIlroy (Ladbrokes 10/11) will be battling with rival Rickie Fowler, who finished second in Phoenix. Punters have high hopes for the young guns as McIlroy tied for 13th last year at The Honda Classic and Fowler has two top five finishes this season, including a runner-up finish last week. Race to Dubai champion Lee Westwood is looking to get back on track for his first win since November after a second place finish in the Dubai Desert Classic and a third place finish in the Qatar Masters. On the European Tour, Westwood is coming off an impressive victory and two top three finishes.

Paul Casey (Ladbrokes 11/8) is coming off a second place finish in the Accenture Match Play Championship. Casey is first overall in hitting greens in regulation. The Match Play winner, Ian Poulter, isn’t playing in this event. Robert Allenby is one of the best ball-strikers on the tour and has a good career record in Florida. He tied for eighth last week in Phoenix. Camilo Villegas (Ladbrokes, Party Bets 11/8) is playing his best golf since the end of 2008 with two top 10 finishes in two events. He lost The Honda Classic playoff to Mark Wilson in 2007.

*Odds listed are for first round match play, three balls.