Form Guide: 2010 Tour Championship

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 PGA Tour Championship | Preview | 21 Sep 2010

The FedEx Cup Playoffs reach their finale on September 23rd when the PGA Tour Championship gets underway at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

The leading 30 players in the season long race for points have earned the right to play in the US$7.5 million event and for the huge associated bonuses.

I take a look at each of the 30 entrants in their qualifying order and assess their chances.

Matt Kuchar

Kuchar was a precocious talent when the US Amateur Champion in 1997, but has taken a long while to realise that talent. There is little doubt however that in 2010 he has done just that. Eight top tens in his last 11 starts including his victory at the recent Barclays is proof positive. This will be Kuchar’s first time but he is so consistent of late that he must surely figure once again.

Dustin Johnson

Johnson has taken his career to a new level in 2010. After body blows at the US Open and the PGA he finally got the job done two weeks ago with his victory at the BMW and is in the middle of a very consistent run. He made a good start to this event last year before falling well back but is much better placed to handle it now.

Charley Hoffman

Hoffman made a slow start to 2010 but over the last few weeks he has put together several very good tournaments culminating in his victory in Boston. This will be Hoffman’s first visit to the Tour Championship however and I prefer others a little more this week.

Steve Stricker

Stricker is hardly ever out of contention wherever he plays these days and this week is likely to be the same. Five top ten finishes in his last seven starts tells the story of a player whose game is in great shape for this ultimate test. He finished strongly at East Lake last year to finish 6th and his game seems in similar shape now.

Paul Casey

Casey has plenty of motivation to do well this week. Having been snubbed for Ryder Cup duties by Colin Montgomerie he would be delighted to win this week and as a result secure the FedEx Cup on the eve of the Ryder Cup. His recent near miss in Chicago suggests his game is in sufficiently good shape to do so. He has not played this event previously but is in arguably the best form of his career.

Jason Day

Day has always been considered as potentially one of the greatest golfers to ever come out of Australia and this season he has provided the results to support that claim. He has carried an illness for much of this year but despite that has been in outstanding form of late.

Luke Donald

Donald was impressive in his runner-up finish in Boston but was not quite as good two weeks ago in Chicago, a last round of 77 proving very costly. Although he has not won this season he has often gone close. He has played this event on three previous occasions with a best of 5th in 2006.

Ernie Els

Els has just snuck along under the radar in this Playoff series without doing a lot. His best in the three events to date has been 13th but it was his form earlier in the season that got him to where he is. He has often played this venue well in his 14 attempts but I am concerned about his most recent form.

Martin Laird

Laird defied the odds with his near miss at the Barclays which has enabled him to get to this point. I can’t see him figuring this week in his first time to this event.

Phil Mickelson

Mickelson is a two time winner of this tournament at this venue and arrives as the defending champion, having beaten Tiger Woods by three shots last year. Mickelson has plenty of incentive this week as another win would earn him world number one status of the first time. The form has been mixed of late but his recent 8th place finish in Chicago was a better sign.

Jim Furyk

Furyk has been solid but not brilliant of late. Furyk has yet to win this event but has been a regular top ten finisher and in 2006 he finished runner up to Adam Scott. He is likely to again finish inside the top ten but he does not seem to be sharp enough at present to win.

Geoff Ogilvy

Ogilvy’s form is too erratic for me to be convinced of his chances this week.

Justin Rose

Rose, like Casey, probably has a point to prove to Colin Montgomerie for overlooking him in Ryder Cup selection. He has struggled a little since his great run in the middle of the year when he won two PGA Tour events and on that basis it is hard to see him in the mix.

Adam Scott

Scott seems now to be finding a level of consistency in his game that had been missing for some time. Importantly for Scott fans he has won this event on this golf course. I like the way his game is coming round and I expect a good week from him.

Hunter Mahan

Mahan’s brilliant victory at Firestone in August on a great course and against a strong field has been followed by several midfield finishes. His best at East Lake was when 5th in 2007. Not quite as sharp as he needs to be at present it would seem.

Ryan Palmer

Palmer is having his best season in golf this year, the last two months in particular very solid. He did also win in Hawaii in January but in this his first visit to this event I struggle to see him being be a factor.

Retief Goosen

Goosen has generally played well in recent months without drawing any real attention to himself. Goosen has won this event at East Lake and following a good 7th place finish last week in Chicago he might just be peaking at the right time.

Bubba Watson

Watson went oh so close at the PGA Championship Watson but has not been back in contention since. He is playing this event for just the second time after finishing last of the 30 players in 2008.

Zach Johnson

Johnson, the course record holder at East Lake with a round of 60 in 2007, has played very solidly in recent weeks including his 3rd place finish at the PGA Championship. He did finish runner up to Tiger Woods in this event in 2007 albeit eight shots behind but he clearly enjoys the course and is playing well enough.

Kevin Na

Na gets to play this event for the second occasion. His game has been building momentum over the past few months culminating in his recent 3rd place finish at the BMW which earned him the right to be in this week’s field. He is following a similar form line to last year’s into this week’s event however which does not augur well for his chances given that he finished last twelve months ago.

Tim Clark

Clark’s form of late is not at the level it needs to be for him to contend. As the winner of the Players Championship earlier in the season he must be respected but he will need to improve if he is to have any chance. He has a best of 7th in three visits to this event.

Ben Crane

Crane has been noticeable by his absence from contention in recent weeks and I do not expect things to change much in that regard this week.

K.J. Choi

Choi reversed what had been a very poor run of form with his 3rd place finish last week in Chicago. Choi has played this event on six previous occasions with a best of 9th, one of only two top tens.

Jeff Overton

Overton has surprisingly yet to win on the PGA Tour but with three runner-up finishes and now a US Ryder Cup team member he is certainly getting closer. His form has dropped off over the Playoffs however after what had been an amazingly consistent season previously.

Camilo Villegas

Villegas defeated Sergio Garcia to win this very event in 2008 but comparing his game in the latter half of 2010 to that he was playing then is like chalk and cheese. He was better last week when 11th at the BMW but it seems a stretch to believe he can contend.

Ryan Moore

Moore played his way into this week’s event with a big finish for 3rd at the BMW. His form prior to that was poor however and for him to contend in his first time to this event would be a surprise.

Robert Allenby

Earlier in the season Allenby was a model of consistency but injury and accidents in the middle of the year cost him dearly. He is beginning to play well again but he needs to improve further if he is to contend. Allenby has made it this far on six previous occasions and has a best of 11th.

Nick Watney

Watney might offer a little bit of hope at longer odds. He has missed only two cuts all season and prior to his final round implosion at the PGA he was very consistent. He seems to have gotten over that now, his 15th place finish last week an encouraging sign.

Kevin Streelman

Streelman played well at the Barclays but that aside it has perhaps surprising that he has made it this far.

Bo Van Pelt

Van Pelt might have been considered a genuine for this title a month ago. His form has dropped off however and he has scraped into this week’s field by the skin of his teeth. He gets to play this event for the first time and based on the last few weeks then he might struggle again.

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