93rd PGA Championship Preview
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| Atlanta Athletic Club, 18th hole |
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| 2001 Champion, David Toms |
Course: Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Club, GA
When: 8/11-8/14
TV: 1-7pm Thurs/Fri, TNT; 11am-2pm, TNT, 2pm-7pm CBS Sat/Sun
Defending Champion: Martin Kaymer (277*, won in playoff)
“Glory’s last shot”. This phrase used to carry more meaning just a few short years ago, before the creation of the FedEx Cup (the PGA TOUR’s “playoffs”). That phrase used to signify the end of significant golf tournaments until the following season. As it stands, it still represents a player’s last chance at winning one of the four “major” championships of the season. Further, the top 10 roster spots for both the United States and International President’s Cup teams will be locked in Sunday evening. There is a lot riding on the line this week for a large number of players. As history will show, of the four majors, the PGA has produced the most journeymen winners. By that I mean, players without much of a track record have won the tournament more frequently than any of the other three. Will a player come from nowhere and contend this weekend? Only time will tell.
As predicted last week, Tiger Woods did not factor whatsoever in last weekend’s WGC Bridgestone Invitational. Also predicted last week, Adam Scott and his caddy, Steve Williams stole the headlines. I did not foresee the circus that followed the tournament, or Scott winning per se, just that if he contended it would be a big story. Once again, I am not predicting Tiger to be much of a factor. He will lead all of the press coverage on Sportscenter, but that will be in name value only. I can see Scott contending again this weekend, but it is extremely difficult (and rare) for a player to win back to back tournaments. I’ll get to my top players in just a bit.
Atlanta Athletic Club is a challenging golf course and will provide a tough test for the field this week. The course plays very long off the tee, and the greens will be very fast. This means that hitting tee shots in the fairway is of the utmost importance. It also means that it will be difficult to get the ball close to the hole. That being said, these are the best players in the world, and I would be shocked if the scoring is high. I would expect the winning score to be anywhere from 8 to 12 shots under par. There are two holes of note: the 265 yard par 3 15th and the 507 yard par 4 18th. For starters, a par 3 that plays more than 230 yards is extremely rare. The green is narrow, and there is water to the right. Making a par on this hole would be considered a minor miracle depending on where the pin is located. The finishing hole also plays over water on the second shot. When the tournament was last played at this course in 2001, David Toms laid up with his second shot instead of going for the green (he held a one shot lead). He went on to make a par and win the tournament (photo above). The pressure will be intense Sunday afternoon, and these closing two holes will make for some great drama.
One of the interesting dynamics of major tournaments is always the draw of the groups in the first two rounds. This week will have several groups that feature the top players in the game. They are as follows:
1) Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke, Charl Schwartzel
2) Matt Kuchar, Lee Westwood, Jason Day
3) Steve Stricker, Paul Casey, Miguel Angel Cabrera
4) Davis Love III, Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington
5) Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia
6) David Toms, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson
There are also several groups that feature past champions of this event, as well as other top TOUR pros that are near the top of the FedEx Cup standings. My top picks to win this weekend are Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, and Steve Stricker. McIlroy did not have a good first round last week at Firestone, but he rallied to post three consecutive solid rounds to finish in a tie for 6th. As I mentioned last week, Rory had a record breaking performance at the U.S. Open in June, and there is no reason to believe that he won’t be near the top of the leaderboard this weekend. Jason Day played phenomenal golf last weekend to finish in a tie for 4th place. He has the power and moxie to make a run at his first major this weekend. Finally, I think that Steve Stricker has a great chance to win his first major at the age of 44. I should point out that he is my favorite player on the TOUR, and if he were to win I would be really fired up. While he isn’t the longest hitter, he possesses and outstanding short game and is arguably the best putter in the world.
Obviously, all of the game’s best players are in the field this week, and any of them can win. There are also a handful of players off the radar and it’s always possible a guy will come out of nowhere. That is part of the beauty of the game of golf: everybody who tees it up has a chance to win. I hope that some of you checked out last weekend’s tournament. I really hope that everyone watches at least the last round on Sunday afternoon. Besides, what else do you have to do?
Obviously, all of the game’s best players are in the field this week, and any of them can win. There are also a handful of players off the radar and it’s always possible a guy will come out of nowhere. That is part of the beauty of the game of golf: everybody who tees it up has a chance to win. I hope that some of you checked out last weekend’s tournament. I really hope that everyone watches at least the last round on Sunday afternoon. Besides, what else do you have to do?
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