Can Tiger return to winner's circle?
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2009 Deutsche Bank Championship | Preview | 02 Sep 2009
100 players have advanced to this week’s second event of the FedEx Cup finals the Deutsche Bank Championship at the TPC Boston, the field for next week’s BMW Championship in Chicago reduced to 70 at the completion of this event.
The Arnold Palmer designed layout at the TPC Boston underwent a significant redesign in 2007 by Gil Hanse, Brad Faxon and Jim Wagner just five years after it was originally created. Interestingly part of that redesign resulted in a reduction of 200 yards in the course’s length, almost unheard of in the modern day.
The venue has played host to this event since 2003 when Adam Scott won the first of his six PGA Tour titles. Scott will not be present this week as he has bowed out of the FedEx Cup race following last week’s Barclays tournament in Jersey City.
With a win and two runner up placings in the event in four starts in the event, Tiger Woods starts as the hot favourite, his recent form making it all but impossible to believe he will not in or near the lead late on Monday afternoon. This event is played from Friday to Monday to take advantage of the Labour Day holiday.
Ernie Els finished third in the event last year in his only showing in the event to date and the manner in which he has begun to play of late suggests he could equal if not better that effort. He finished runner up last week at The Barclays and appears ready to return to regular contention in world golf. His recent decision to return to a full swing seems already to be paying dividends.
Vijay Singh has been a two time winner of the event, in fact it was at this event in 2004 where he moved past Tiger Woods to take over the number one position in golf, albeit briefly. Singh is not at his best at present but there has been enough to suggest that on a golf course where he has a comfort zone the defending champion could well contend again.
Steve Stricker is another who could win this week. He is clearly in good enough form to do so and his record at this venue is very good with three top twenties in his last three starts. As the number four player in the world and the number two in FedEx Cup rankings he can be expected to challenge for the title.
Hunter Mahan seems to be in the mix most weeks in recent months and put together a second round of 64 last year in this event before finishing 15th. His chances appear very good of succeeding at slightly longer odds.
Steve Marino played well in this event last year and despite several late slip ups in recent events his turn must come soon.
Eleven Australians have made it this far and are headed by Ogilvy who finished 6th in this event in 2007 and 5th behind Scott in 2003. Ogilvy has hardly been at his best of late although there is such a fine line between the results he has been having and success.
Robert Allenby, the improving Jason Day, Rod Pampling, John Senden, Nathan Green, Mathew Goggin, Marc Leishman, James Nitties, Nick O’Hern and Greg Chalmers are still alive in the race for fortunes.
