Music meets golf at Greenbrier Classic
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 Greenbrier Classic | Preview | 28 Jul 2010
Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Reba and Brad Paisley might not normally be associated with a PGA Tour event but this week they most certainly will be.
The country music headline acts will perform during tournament week at this week’s Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur Springs in West Virginia and just US$147 gives you access to the inaugural staging of the event itself and to the concerts of all four country music stars.
The delightful Old White Course, one of three at White Sulphur Springs is a Seth Raynor and C.B. McDonald layout opened in 1914 and one that has previously played host to events such as the Ryder and Solheim Cups.
It will provide a venue for this event for the next six years but has been perhaps disadvantaged in its inaugural year given that it is sandwiched in between the Open Championship and next week’s WGC Bridgestone Championship.
Jim Furyk heads the field in terms of world ranked players, in fact only he is the only player from the world top twenty in the field but as we have seen in recent weeks world rankings don’t necessarily convert to success on the golf course.
Since his victory at the Verizon Heritage Classic, Furyk has not been at his best but he is too good to ignore.
Jeff Overton has been one of the quiet achievers on the PGA Tour this season and his recent 11th place finish at the Open Championship is yet another example of just that. He must win soon give the amount of times he puts himself into contention and this week might be the perfect opportunity. Four top three finishes in his last nine starts is enough proof for me.
Nick Watney is another playing beautifully in 2010 without winning and like Overton he gets a great chance here.
Trevor Immelman seems to be getting close to his best form and although he slipped back in the final round last week in Canada that he was in a position to falter on the final day is a reflection on the fact that he is reaching a point in his game that he has not been at for some time. He also played well at the Open Championship.
Stuart Appleby has shown enough in recent months to suggest the horrors of the last eighteen months are behind him. He could easily lead the Australian contingent although Greg Chalmers was very good last week when 4th at the Canadian Open.
Marc Leishman, Aaron Baddeley, John Senden, Rod Pampling, James Nitties, Jarrod Lyle, Aron Price, Matt Jones, Mathew Goggin, Cameron Percy and David Lutterus are other Australians in the field.
