NEC Invitational backs up thrilling PGA

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2004 NEC Invitational | Preview | 18 Aug 2004

The World Golf Championship NEC Invitational takes pride of place on the USPGA Tour this week, following one of the most intriguing USPGA Championships in recent years.

After a year away from Firestone while the course hosted the US Seniors PGA Championship, the event returned last year to Akron to see Darren Clarke take out the title.

The South course at Firestone was originally opened in 1929 and was designed by Bert Way. It was extensively redesigned in 1985 by Golf Force, a Jack Nicklaus company. The facility consists of three courses, the South, the North designed by Robert Trent Jones in 1969 and the West Course designed by Brian Silva and Geoffrey Cornish in 1989 and redesigned by Tom Fazio in 2001.

Both the South and the North Course have hosted significant professional events but the South Course has essentially taken the mantle of the tournament course at Firestone.

The course has staged the World Series of Golf, which this event has essentially replaced, since 1962, although in its first five years it was a four man thirty six hole affair. For many baby boomers it was this event perhaps more than any other that gave an insight into the fascinating world of professional golf.

The tournament record holder is Tiger Woods, who in 1999 somehow managed to find a way to get around this course in 259 shots when he won by a massive eleven shots over Justin Leonard and Philip Price.

The players who have dominated this course and the event in recent years include Woods who won in 1999, 2000 and 2001, Phil Mickelson who won in 1996 and was runner up on three consecutive occasions from 1997 to 1999, two time winner Jose Maria Olazabal, and Jim Furyk who has yet to finish outside the top ten in the five stagings of this particular event.

With the permutations surrounding the number one position in the game that could change this week, Tiger Woods will be looking to his familiarity and love of this course to rekindle the winning feeling that has deserted him in stroke-play events this year. He was gutsy and impressive last week at Whistling Straits but he will need more than that to hold the trophy on Sunday.

Defending champion, Darren Clarke, was in the mix for much of last week until a last round 76 saw him slip out of contention. He has however a win and also a third place here in 2001, suggesting he may well hold on longer than he did last week.

Mickelson has a great record here and with yet another good week last week, he arrives here in great form and should challenge.

Ernie Els has good, if not spectacular, form here and if he is not too frustrated by his near misses this year then he could finally get across the line in 2004.

Vijay Singh may well be exhausted this week but he has had a couple of solid finishes here including his 6th place last year. If he can overcome the let down syndrome from such a brilliant week at the PGA then he could again contend on Sunday.

If Justin Leonard can rise above the disappointment of last week’s back nine demise, then he is a player who has played well enough here to be in the mix again. He started slowly here last year but then played well to finish. His task however will be to eliminate the memories of a Sunday last week which cost him so much.

Jim Furyk has played well at Firestone previously but he was so bad last week it is hard to see him recovering to contend.

The Australians Allenby and Appleby have both performed well here at times and they are both playing good golf right now, especially Appleby who was previously posted a fifth placing here in 2001. He will be keen to bounce back from the horror of Saturday when four penalty shots cost him a chance of figuring in the finish.

Jay Haas will be buoyed by his selection on the Ryder Cup team and he was 17th here last year after a last round of 65, the best of the day. He suffered a little on Sunday at the PGA but he wasn’t alone in that regard and he is playing so well it is hard to see him not in the mix somewhere and at good odds I would think.

Other Australasians in the field are Adam Scott, fresh from his top ten last week, Peter Lonard, Rod Pampling, Craig Parry, Mark Hensby, Stephen Leaney, Brett Rumford and Peter Senior.

The tournament carries a total prizemoney of US$6 million.

Qualifying Criteria

• Playing members of the last named United States and International Presidents Cup teams and the last named United States and European Ryder Cup teams, if not otherwise eligible.

• Players ranked among the top 50 and ties on the Official World Golf Rankings as of Monday of tournament week, if not otherwise eligible.

• Tournament winners of worldwide events since the prior year’s NEC Invitational with an Official World Golf Ranking strength of field rating of 100 points or more.

• If not otherwise eligible, the winner of one selected tournament from each of the following Tours: Australasian Tour, Southern Africa Tour, Asian PGA and Japan Golf Tour.