Arnold Palmer a litmus test for Woods

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2009 Arnold Palmer Invitational | Preview | 26 Mar 2009

Tiger Woods faces what might well prove a significant litmus test in his preparation for Augusta National in two weeks time when he plays this week’s Arnold Palmer Championship at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando.

Woods has played twice this season including his return to tournament golf at the Accenture, making it to the second round in that event and then finishing a very meritorious 9th at the WGC-CA event. This week however, in what is likely his final lead-up event to the opening major of the year, he will be keen to continue the progress with another good finish on a golf course he must feel as if he owns.

Woods has won at Bay Hill on five previous occasions, four of those coming in a four year stretch between 2000 and 2003, becoming one of the very few players and the last player to achieve such a feat on the PGA Tour.

Only three other players from the world top ten are in this week’s field which, given its proximity in time to the Masters, is perhaps surprising. Many players are now choosing next week’s Houston Open and the new Tournament Course there as their final event before Augusta and so only Woods, Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh and Kenny Perry from the elite top ten are playing this week.

Vijay Singh is another with a good record at Bay Hill having won in 2007 and been three times runner up. There is some concern about Singh’s current form however after his return from knee surgery.

Padraig Harrington is now established as one of the game’s greats although it is difficult to be bullish about his chances this week. Given that it has been eight years since he teed it up at Bay Hill and that his immediate close up form has not been great then his chances do not look good.

Kenny Perry could tee it up anywhere now and get a result it would seem. A previous winner and runner up at Bay Hill, Perry is one of the hottest golfers on Tour this season and another good week seems almost assured.

Despite missing the cut last week in Tampa Bay, Sean O’Hair has made a very impressive start to the 2009 season and has played well at Bay Hill in two out of his three visits. A brilliant third round of 63 last year eventually saw him finish third, three shots behind Woods and with plenty of good finishes already this season he has a chance to do even better.

Now that Retief Goosen has found form with his victory last week there is every reason to believe he can go on with it. It is always difficult to back up a victory with another the following week, especially when it had been nearly four years since the previous PGA Tour win, but generally he does play this course well.

Pat Perez is another who might provide hope at longer odds. The recent winner of the Bob Hope has the opportunity to be presented with a winner’s jacket for the second time by Arnold Palmer in 2009 as it was Palmer who hosted the Bob Hop event. Perez has not missed a cut in six starts in this event and is a lot better player now than he was when recording top ten finishes in his first two visits to Bay Hill.

Scott Verplank has shown enough in his last two events this season to suggest he is close to his best once again. If he can produce his best then he could well continue what has been a solid record in this event.

Mathew Goggin heads the Australasian challenge in terms of current form although he has only played this event twice missing the cut last year in the process. He is playing beautifully at present however and, if and when his first PGA Tour victory comes the floodgates might well open for the highly talented Tasmanian.

Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Aaron Baddeley, Adam Scott, previous winner Rod Pampling, Jason Day, Nick O’Hern, John Senden, Peter Lonard, James Nitties and New Zealander Michael Campbell round off the Australasians.

Campbell plays his first event since being forced to withdraw from the Abu Dhabi and Qatar events with shoulder injuries. He has a start at Augusta National courtesy of his win at the US Open in 2005 and is no doubt anxious to get some tournament play under his belt before then.