Boo looking for three at Hilton Head
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2009 Verizon Heritage | Preview | 15 Apr 2009
The PGA Tour returns to a certain level of normality this week although the Verizon Heritage Classic is an event and a golf course where many of the leading players, despite the battles of last week, are keen to play.
The tournament is being played for the 40th occasion at the famed Pete Dye designed Harbour Town Golf Links where Boo Weekley will look to make it three straight wins here, having beaten Ernie Els in 2007 and Aaron Baddeley and Anthony Kim in 2008.
Weekley has not played well in recent weeks however and despite his obvious love affair with the Harbour Town layout it is hard to imagine a three-peat.
Jim Furyk has been runner up twice here and there was enough to like about his efforts last week at the Masters to indicate he could contend again and perhaps even win this week. Furyk is just the sort of player this course tends to suit a no-frills ball striker and Furyk has all the credentials to do well.
Speaking of no frills players, this might just be the week for South African Tim Clark to break through for his first win on the PGA Tour. He was in the mix for much of last week before eventually finishing 13th but he also had a solid start to the season prior and has generally played this golf course well.
Robert Allenby continues to make cut after cut and throws in the occasional near miss at winning as well. He has not won on the PGA Tour since 2001 but surely he must be rewarded for consistency at some stage. Surprisingly he does not enjoy a good record in this event although he has not played often and he did finish 14th last year.
This tournament has been good to Australian with Graham Marsh, Greg Norman, Peter Lonard and Aaron Baddeley all winning on this quality layout. Baddeley did reasonably well at Augusta last week after what had been an indifferent start to the year and not only has he won this title, he also finished runner up last year. His liking for the golf course might well be enough for him to contend again.
Rory McIlroy has not found the PGA Tour beyond him in his first few events in the US and apart from one stretch of holes on Saturday at The Masters he did very well in his debut at Augusta National. He is looking to become the youngest player to win on the PGA Tour since Johnny McDermott at the 1911 US Open and if he did few would be surprised. He won in Dubai earlier this year against a field which was likely stronger in terms of world rankings.
The other Australians in the field are Mathew Goggin, John Senden, Rod Pampling, Nick O’Hern, James Nitties, Nathan Green, 2005 champion Peter Lonard, Steve Elkington, Jarrod Lyle, Greg Chalmers, Marc Leishman, Aron Price, Tim Wilkinson and Stephen Leaney.
