Chrysler Championship offers last chance for many
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2004 Chrysler Championship | Preview | 26 Oct 2004
The Chrysler Championship in Palm Harbour near Tampa on Florida’s west coast, brings the official full field events on the 2004 USPGA Tour to a close and with it, joy or despair for many.
The key money list milestones at the end of this week are firstly, the top thirty who will play the Tour Championship next week, the top forty who will gain access to the 2005 US Masters, the top seventy who gain access to invitational events next year and of course the top 125 who are guaranteed access to the PGA Tour next year.
In addition therefore, to the not insignificant first prize cheque of US$900,000 and the total purse of US$5 million, there is indeed a lot at stake.
The event is being played over the Westin Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course, designed in 1972 by Larry Packard and one of four courses at the Westin Innisbrook facility. The course measures just over 7300 yards.
This will be the fourth staging of the event with Retief Goosen, K.J. Choi and Florida specialist, John Huston, the previous winners. Last year Goosen held Vijay Singh at bay throughout the last round, eventually winning by three from Singh and by four from Briny Baird. It is perhaps interesting to note that both Singh and Baird tied for second last week in Orlando.
The world number one and the man who has recorded five wins and a runner-up placing at his last six USPGA Tour starts, Vijay Singh, is here and with a runner-up placing last year, it is a bit hard to go past him. The facts don’t lie and it is fair to assume he will be in the mix again.
Defending champion Reteif Goosen is back. He is coming off a quarter final loss at the HSBC World Match Play and a 6th placing at the American Express amongst recent starts. He is in similar form to what he was in when arriving here last year and the US Open Champion may well repeat.
Phil Mickelson is clearly one of the highest ranked players here, but given his recent form since changing clubs one wonders quite where he is at right now. He withdrew after a good start in Las Vegas supposedly due to unspecified illness. This will be an interesting litmus test on Mickelson’s game.
Stuart Appleby suffered the indignity of missing his tee time last Sunday but his race had already been run at that stage. He is playing well enough to be in the mix this week although he has yet to play here at this event.
David Toms was 40th in his only start here but he has been playing solidly of late including his a 4th at last week’s Funai Classic.
Davis Love III is here but after missing the cut last week and just so-so form in recent weeks, there is that question mark despite his class. He was 6th last year giving some hope of a return to form.
Justin Leonard has been solid since his PGA disappointment but hardly spectacular but there has been enough good rounds amongst that to suggest he could improve on his 13th last year. Leonard, for only the second time in his nine-year career, has been winless this year so he will be keen to right that wrong.
The Australasians other than Appleby are Robert Allenby, Mark Hensby, who has been so good this season and who is not without a chance, Rod Pampling, Geoff Ogilvy, who must be getting close to finally winning his first professional event, Peter Lonard, Steve Allan, Craig Perks, Craig Parry and Aaron Baddeley who needs a good solid week to maintain or improve on his 122nd position on the money list. If Baddeley misses the cut here, then he leaves himself exposed to attack from those behind and the possibility of losing fully exempt status in 2005.
Scott Hend, in 132nd position on the money list, desperately needs a start and he is currently an alternate and will struggle to get a place in the field.
