Stars missing but great contest likely at Colonial
IN: News | US PGA | Bank of America Colonial (2006) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 16 May 2006
The last two weeks on the PGA Tour have seen events with strong representation from the top ten in the game. At both the Wachovia Championship and the EDS Byron Nelson, as many as eight players from that elite group ensured that those events boasted some of the strongest fields in events outside of the majors.
This week is a little different with only Jim Furyk and David Toms from the top ten playing at the Bank of America Colonial. As we saw in last week's event however, even the strongest of fields does not ensure that the leading players will be in the mix on Sunday. Late in last week's final round across on the other side of Dallas, three of the four players contending late in the piece had not even won on the PGA Tour, further highlighting the amazing depth and for it to be possible for anyone good enough to hold a PGA Tour card to challenge on any given week.
The Colonial Golf Club and this event are amongst the great traditions of American golf. The event has always been played at the Perry Maxwell/John Bredemus designed course which was opened in the early 1930's. Several others have had a go at it over the years in redesign or alteration work including Dick Wilson, Robert Trent Jones Snr, Jay Morrish and Bob Cupp and finally in 1999, Keith Foster.
It was the venue for the US Open in 1941 when Craig Wood took the title. It was due to the success of that tournament that this event was born. It was the first course in Texas to utilise bent grass greens and there was a lot of scepticism about the capacity of the bent to tolerate the summer heat. They survived, although only just on occasions, but in 1999 the greens were changed to a new strain of bent namely A-4 bent, a more heat tolerant species at which time other alterations were made by Keith Foster.
The event was first held there in 1946 and was won by the man whose name has become synonymous with the course and the event, Ben Hogan. In those days its yardage of 7035 yards meant that it was most likely considered as one of the longer courses in the professional game. That it has stood the test of time without the addition of a great deal of length - it is now 7080 yards - is a testament to the longevity of its fine strategic qualities. It is a golf course with many doglegs moving both ways and with greens twenty percent smaller than the average on the USPGA Tour. "A straight ball will get you in more trouble at Colonial than any course I know," said Hogan. The course requires great shot making as the list of winners would suggest.
Given that he is the highest ranked player in the field and that he is such good form, then it is logical to expect Jim Furyk to be the favourite. He does possess a better than average record around this great layout and, on a golf course that requires strategy rather than power, he should be in his element. He was ordinary last week in Dallas but given the taxing nature of his victory the previous week, then perhaps he could be forgiven for the letdown. I think we can expect to see him bounce back with another good week here.
David Toms has recorded four top tens in his last six starts at this event, his runner up finish behind Nick Price in 2002 his best. Toms seems to have lost his way in recent starts, missing three cuts in his last five with 15th place at the Bell South being his best. It is hardly encouraging for his many fans.
Stephen Ames appears to be playing his way back into form after a couple of indifferent tournaments to follow up his brilliant win at the Players Championship. With a third place in this event in 2004, he has the credentials around the Colonial to go close again. He plays well in the wind and if it does blow, as it can in Texas, he will be right in his element.
Kenny Perry arrives as the defending champion this week but he is only just starting to regain his form after the knee surgery he underwent earlier. He won by seven shots in 2005 and there was enough to like about his week last week in Dallas to suggest that things will improve even further this week.
Fred Couples had a little bit of rust to shake of last week after his month away from the game following his 3rd place finish at Augusta. Despite missing the cut last week, he improved considerably from the first to the second round and if he can continue that he might be a factor.
K.J. Choi has been slowly improving of late and he has played well enough around this course in his two starts to be considered given what appears to be his growing confidence.
Corey Pavin is still one of the great craftsmen and as a consequence is suited to this style of course. He had a great record here earlier in his career and with some more than reasonable form of late he might just be a chance for a high finish this week.
Bo Van Pelt has missed only one cut in fourteen starts in 2006 and with two very good finishes in the two times he has played in this tournament he can be expected to continue that run of consistency this season.
Joe Durant is another with form at the Colonial and who appears to be improving in recent weeks.
Of the Australasians, Pampling gets the nod as the player most likely. He lives in the area, has played well this year and finished sixth in this event last year.
Allenby, O'Hern, who if he was playing better would be suited by this course, Aaron Baddeley, Peter Lonard, Mark Hensby, Nathan Green, John Senden, Scott Hend and Craig Perks will ensure plenty of interest from down under.
The tournament has prizemoney of US$6 million.
