Can Woods send Buick Open out in style?
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2009 Buick Open | Preview | 30 Jul 2009
The Buick Open’s future may or may not be determined this week but, if it is to be the last, the presence of Tiger Woods is sure to provide a fitting send off to one of the PGA Tour’s longest running events.
First staged in 1958 and played at the same venue in all but six of the years, the Buick Open has been blessed recently by Tiger Woods’ association with the naming rights sponsor although with that ceasing last year there was no guarantee he would play an event he has won twice.
The Warwick Hills layout was originally designed in 1957 by James Gilmore Harrison and then redesigned 12 years later by Joe Lee. It measures 7127 yards and is considered to be a low scoring golf course with winning totals between 15 and 24 under par the norm.
With next week’s World Golf Championship event in Akron and the PGA Championship at Hazeltine the following week this event will be the first of three in a row for Woods.
Woods’ involvement in the event has played a key role in its success in recent years but even his presence can’t stop the inevitable, namely the tightening of the car company purses in relation to discretionary spending. There is much speculation that this year’s event may be the last.
Kenny Perry would have been the defending champion but he is not here this week due to the illness of his mother.
Woods won this event in 2002 and 2006 and has finished runner up on two other occasions and despite coming off a missed cut at the Open Championship he will surely be in the thick of things on Sunday. His form prior to Turnberry was stunning and I have little doubt he will be back near that again this week. Beware the wounded Tiger as there is little doubt he was wounded by what happened in Scotland.
Jim Furyk was another to disappoint at the Open but like Woods his form prior was good and as a winner and two time runner up at Warwick Hills he has a good chance to head back up the world ranking list this week.
Woody Austin is a player who has often played this course well. Although he has missed the cut in each of his last two starts this season he too was playing well earlier this year and could well continue his very good record at Warwick Hills.
Brian Gay had a good record at Warwick Hills long before he became the player he is now. He was runner up in 2002 and finished 7th last year. His form has been a bit of a mixture in recent weeks but he has won twice in 2009 and is a genuine chance.
Scott Verplank has been a model of consistency of late with three consecutive top tens in his last three starts. Verplank won this event 21 years ago and has regularly played the event well. I really like his chances this week.
The Australians are well represented with 14 players while New Zealander Danny Lee gets yet another USPGA Tour start. Lee also has start at next week’s World Golf Championship event in Ohio and dependant on how he plays in either or both events this may be the last time he is seen in the US for a while. Lee is obliged to play European Tour events if he is to retain the status he earnt as a result of his Johnnie Walker Classic victory.
Nathan Green is the most in-form of the Australians as a result of his victory last week but, as all winners do, he will find that hard to follow up. This is Green’s third start in this event having a best of 50th two years ago.
Jason Day, Stuart Appleby, Nick O’Hern, Peter Lonard, John Senden, Rod Pampling, James Nitties, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Steve Allan, Greg Chalmers, Aron Price and Stephen Leaney make up the rest of the Australian field.
