NEC offers yet another thrilling encounter
IN: News | US PGA | NEC Invitational (2005) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 17 Aug 2005
It may not be a major championship but the World Golf Championship NEC Invitational's field will lose little in comparison to that which lined up last week at Baltusrol.
The tournament's venue, the South course at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio was originally opened in 1929 and was designed by Bert Way. It was extensively redesigned in 1985 by Golf Force, a Jack Nicklaus company. The facility consists of three courses, the South, the North designed by Robert Trent Jones in 1969 and the West Course designed by Brian Silva and Geoffrey Cornish in 1989 and redesigned by Tom Fazio in 2001. The course measures 7360 yards and has bent/poa greens.
Both the South and the North Course have hosted significant professional events but the South Course has essentially taken the mantle of the tournament course at Firestone.
The course has staged the World Series of Golf, which this event has essentially replaced, since 1962 with one exception in 2003 when played at Sahalee, although in its first five years it was a four-man, 36 hole affair. For many baby boomers it was this event perhaps more than any other that gave an insight into the fascinating world of professional golf in the 1960's.
Stewart Cink looks to defend a title he won by four in 2004 and an event in which he played well earlier in his career.
The favourite, as could be expected, is Tiger Woods who has won this event at this venue on three occasions and was runner up last year. Given the form he is in at present, a fourth win would be no surprise. He has never finished worse than 5th at this event in eight attempts.
If Phil Mickelson is able to descend from the high he is no doubt on following his win last week, then he too has every chance to add to his impressive record here which includes a win in 1996 and three runner up placings in the three seasons following his win.
While Vijay Singh has not exactly played badly here, he has not won and never finished better than 6th in seven tries. He is in good enough form at present however to turn that trend around, despite a perhaps shaky finish to last week's PGA.
Retief Goosen has played well here without threatening his best being 10th and worst 24th in four starts.
Jim Furyk was a little disappointing last week when many felt he had a good chance to do well but in the final wash-up he was not all that far away. He has had five top tens in seven starts in this event, his best in 2001 when losing a playoff to Woods. He is likely the best of the chances just outside the big four
Others with chances are Davis Love III and Kenny Perry, who are both in good enough form to feature here despite less than impressive records at the venue, course specialist Darren Clarke and Fred Couples who played well here earlier in his career and who is playing well at present.
It is a fair bet to assume that those players who just missed out on a spot in the Presidents Cup Team for both the USA and International sides will enjoy the chance to prove the point to both Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus that they have made a mistake. K.J. Choi, Steve Elkington, Geoff Ogilvy and Zach Johnson can all consider themselves a little unlucky to have not made their respective teams and their performance this week will be watched with interest. Elkington and Ogilvy have gained last minute starts in the event via their finishes at the PGA. They are now both inside the top fifty in the world and that is one of the qualifying criteria to get a start here.
Others like Nick O'Hern and Mike Weir who have both struggled across the line to make the team on points will be keen to get their recent form heading back in the right direction.
The Australasians in the field are Adam Scott, Michael Campbell, Stuart Appleby, Peter Lonard, Mark Hensby, Nick O'Hern, Steve Elkington, Geoff Ogilvy, previous winner Craig Parry, Rod Pampling and Richard Green.
The tournament is worth $US7.5 million.
