Nissan Open and the Riviera attract the stars
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2006 Nissan Open | Preview | 15 Feb 2006
The Nissan Open is traditionally one of the favoured events for players on the USPGA Tour much of that because of the class layout that is the Riviera Country Club and the tremendous tradition the event has built since its first staging in 1926.
Tiger Woods two years ago expressed his love of the course. “It is one of the best designed courses we play all year,” he said. “It is very fair with everything in front of you.”
The Riviera Country Club first staged the event in 1929 and became an irregular venue until 1946 when it staged the tournament for an eight year span. It was back on the roster in 1973 and has remained the venue since apart from 1998 when the event was held on a one off basis at the Valencia Golf Club.
The Riviera Country Club was constructed in 1926 and was designed by George C. Thomas and William Bell. In 2001 significant remodelling was carried out under the design of Tom Fazio. The Riviera Country Club has again undergone further alterations this year, in addition to the significant changes made in 2001, with several of the greens enlarged to counter the encroachment of the Kikuya grass and to provide more pin positions on those particular greens.
The greens are bent grass and poa annua and the fairways kikuyu grass.
The favourite will be Tiger Woods but his absence from the winner’s circle is perhaps strange given the quality of the layout and that he was brought up in the region. He has however still played well on the eight occasions he has played the event and given that he has won twice this year in two starts despite not being at 100% he should be a factor.
Ernie Els will play his first PGA Tour event since the Open Championship last July and his first in the US since the US Open in June. He highlighted his readiness for the task with a playoff loss to Woods in Dubai two weeks ago and it would seem he is ready to make an impressive return to US golf. Els won here in 1999 but has only played here on three occasions.
Jim Furyk has not really been able to master this course but has started the 2006 season quite well. He has had just the one top ten in nine visits to the event but that apart, 32nd has been his best. That is the concern for both Furyk and his fans.
Like Furyk, Chris DiMarco has had just the one top ten here in eight starts that being when 6th at the 2002 event. He does however come off a real confidence boosting win in Abu Dhabi and two solid finishes since. His lack of form here is of some concern though.
Luke Donald finished 13th here last year although nothing much can be taken from an event where there were only 36 holes played. He did though shoot 66 in round one. He has had a run of solid form in recent weeks and there is every reason to believe a layout such as this should suit him.
Allenby won a six way playoff in 2001 and comes off a run of form which included his three consecutive victories in Australia. He was playing his first event of the year when 55th at the Buick and then last week in Perth showed that he was getting closer when he rallied home with a last round 66 to place some pressure on those behind him on the course. He finished in a share of third. After a couple of weeks to get back into the swing of tournament golf, he appears to be approaching his best form which, given his performance here in 2001, is good enough to win this event.
Adam Scott is the defending champion although given that his victory last year was only over the shortened journey of 36 holes, it was a victory that did not receive the accolades that a win in a 54 or 72 hole would have received. Like Allenby he played last week in Perth and did reasonably well when 6th. Scott continues to work on certain aspects of his game as he prepares for Augusta. Given that last week was just his second tournament of the season, and his first since the Sony Open, then it was a solid week although a touch disappointing given the start he made and that he was defending his JWC title.
Chad Campbell has cooled off a little after his blistering start to the season but in four starts here he has had two top tens including his runner up placing last year. He was also eighth in 2003 behind Weir after a slow start the event that week.
Speaking of Mike Weir he must be a serious consideration. He faltered horribly on the final day last week but as a two time winner here he has a real chance. He has mixed his form this year with two missed cuts and two top fives. His affinity with Riviera and his reasonable form in recent weeks has him well placed for this.
Common logic suggests that Tim Clark must be close to his first USPGA Tour win. He has form here including a third round 64 when 10th in 2004. He has played well in his last two starts. His first win must happen some time soon and on a golf course like Riviera it could well be here.
The return of J.B Holmes to tournament golf following his big win in Phoenix is awaited with interest. He will no doubt experience a week of back slapping as his colleagues see him for the first time since that win and perhaps this is not a course that necessarily suits his type of game, but the ever increasing hype around his power game will attract huge interest.
Stuart Appleby was third here two years ago and with three solid weeks behind him to start 2006 he is a good chance to improve on that. His two great weeks in Hawaii were followed by a reasonable week at Torrey Pines and now after a two week break he is back and rearing to go.
There will be a lot of interest this week in the performance of Henrik Stenson who has risen rapidly in the world ranking in recent months to number 17. He is here as an invite but there appears little doubt that it will not be long before he becomes a more regular participant on the USPGA Tour. The last time he played in California he finished third behind Tiger Woods at the American Express
Aaron Baddeley, Peter Lonard, Steve Elkington, Mark Hensby, Geoff Ogilvy, Rod Pampling and Steve Bowditch make up the rest of the Australians in the field.
