Still a lot at stake at PGA Tour Championship

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2004 PGA Tour Championship | Preview | 04 Nov 2004

Although this is the last official USPGA Tour event of the year (we shall overlook the World Cup), the Tour Championship at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta is hardly one that will see a festive Christmas atmosphere prevail. After all, US$6 million is at stake and with that total being shared by thirty one players then a good week here will certainly eliminate any concerns regarding Christmas presents.

Thirty one players? Yes thirty one, as Padraig Harrington, despite not being a member of the PGA Tour, gets a start because he made enough money to be inside the top thirty. To me that seems a like a very strange decision. Harrington is getting the benefits that the members of the USPGA Tour have paid for. Harrington could, if he was to win, conceivably alter the status of some players who have just scrapped into various categories as he would then become a member.

Singh, who has earned nearly twice as much as the number two player on the 2004 PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson, is the raging hot favourite and deserves to be, not only for his remarkable form but for his record at the East Lake Golf Club. He won here in 2002 and was runner up in 1998.

The course at the East Lake Golf Club is almost one hundred years old. Originally built in 1904 and designed originally by Tom Bendelow, it was remodelled by Donald Ross in 1915 then again in 1959 by George Cobb and in 1994 Rees Jones had a go.

Singh is almost impossible to go past as the likely winner. Just how much longer he can sustain the amazing mental strength required to contend as often as he does remains to be seen. If he can keep it going for one more week however, there is every chance he will become the first man since Sam Snead in 1950 to win ten events in a season.

The number two money winner is going to have to produce a major turnaround if he is going the challenge the favourite. His form since just prior to the Ryder Cup has been ordinary at best and while the equipment change may not be the only reason, the timing of it and the subsequent form slump is almost too close to be just a coincidence. He did play well in Las Vegas before withdrawing but if you were keen on a bet then despite him having won here previously, it would take a lot of convincing for me to back him.

Ernie Els is back again amidst the controversy that has been brewing over a supposed letter from Tim Finchem. As the facts are revealed however it appears that the story is somewhat of a beat up and that perhaps there was some misinterpretation of comments made by Finchem. The jury is still out on that one. He did miss out last week’s event due to an injured thumb but clearly it is sufficiently healed to play this week it would seem.

Tiger Woods is back from his three week honeymoon ready to go it would seem. While indications suggest that there were times in the Caribbean where he felt as if he could have stayed there forever, the competitive juices in the man are calling him back to tournament golf. It will be interesting to see whether his form or lack of it is interpreted as an advertisement for marriage or otherwise. Woods has won this event just the once and that was at the alternate venue in Houston so I think I would prefer to see him with a run or two under his belt before offering him as a chance.

I think Sergio Garcia is a real chance. He is coming of a near miss last week in Spain and a win at his start prior to that. He was runner up in this event in 2001 to David Toms in Houston.

Of the others Chris DiMarco has continued to play well all year and was 7th here in 2001. He struggles to win but he could well show up amongst the placegetters.

David Toms is playing well and having finished third here in 2002 he is a chance. He has been 6th and 4th at his last two starts this season.

Adam Scott, Mark Hensby and Stuart Appleby will be the Australians in the event this year. Both Appleby and Hensby missed the cut last week following some good form earlier. For all three of them, especially Hensby, just making it into this field is one hell of an achievement.