World Golf Championships back in California
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2005 American Express Championship | Preview | 04 Oct 2005
The road show that is the World Golf Championship series of events moves to San Francisco this week for the American Express Championship at the Harding Park Golf Course. With the Accenture having been played further south earlier in the year but in the same state it defies the use of the word “World Golf Championship”.
Harding Park is a layout originally created in 1925 when Willie Watson the local architect completed another of his many works in the region. It is in an area surrounded by courses such as Olympic Golf Club and the San Francisco Golf Club and is less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean. It borders Lake Merced which is sandwiched between the course and the ocean. Depending on which ratings you place most faith in, it is ranked number two in the US in terms of municipal courses.
Watson is known for his work in the Bay area with the Olympic Club perhaps being his flagship but he also designed Interlachen in Minneapolis and Orinda a little known but highly regarded course in the Santa Cruz area.
In 2003, Harding Park was given a significant revamp by USGA President Sandy Tatum, Ken Venturi and Chris Gray was completed the course now measuring some 7100 yards and carrying a par of 70.
The field, as could be expected for an event that carries WGC status and a prize purse of US$7.5 million, is amongst the best that can be assembled with the favourite, Tiger Woods.
Woods arrives here after a somewhat disappointing Deutsche Bank Championship but his form prior was simply stunning finishing inside the top four in each of his last seven starts. He is no doubt primed for this and despite a loss at the Presidents Cup to Retief Goosen he will no doubt be ready to contend again.
Vijay Singh’s most recent form has been good if not at his absolute best. His loss to Fred Couples in the Presidents Cup singles was perhaps surprising but that aside, his form has been good enough for him to once again feature here.
Phil Mickelson is loved wherever he plays in California and regularly plays well in his home state. His last two tournaments have been less than Phil Mickelson’s best by a long way but he is the recent PGA Champion and in front of the support he feeds on, he can be expected to do well.
Retief Goosen has been rock solid and at times brilliant in recent months. His win over Woods at the Presidents Cup will be a further psychological boost towards his chances here.
Sergio Garcia just went through the motions last week in Greensboro but it was not a bad week and his form prior was very good when winning in Switzerland. He is certainly up to winning this if at the top of his game.
The Australasians are headed by Adam Scott, who was disappointing at the Greensboro event last week although to be fair it might just be that his head was not in the event. He met his Waterloo against Furyk at the Presidents Cup but he did not play badly that day. Like Garcia he could win this at his best but he does not always bring that to each tournament.
Stuart Appleby has been inconsistent of late but when he has played well it has been good enough to do well here. He was only just beaten by DiMarco at the Presidents Cup.
This will be an interesting test for Michael Campbell. He has shown himself in season 2005 that America no longer holds the fears for him it once did and with challengers for the lead he holds in the European Tour Order of Merit race now coming thick and fast, a top placing here could well seal that much sought after title.
Mark Hensby appears to have gone off the boil a little of late but he has proven himself to be a big event player and this is certainly that. Nick’O’Hern, Peter Lonard, Rod Pampling, Steve Elkington, Richard Green, Gavin Coles and Euan Walters are also here. While it might appear surprising that the likes of Coles and Walters are in a field of this calibre they get here via the money list category from the Australasian Tour.
