New look layout greets BMW field
IN: News | European PGA | BMW Championship (2006) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 24 May 2006
A new look West Course at the Wentworth Golf Club will greet the field for this week's BMW Championship. Local resident Ernie Els was entrusted with coming up with an upgrade to what was already a fine test and by most accounts he has succeeded.
One of the problems with this event in recent years is that it has not always produced a champion considered amongst the best players in Europe. With the greatest respect to the likes of Andrew Oldcorn, Ignacio Garrido, Anders Hansen and Scott Drummond, they are hardly household names in European golf let alone World golf and for this event to gain even further standing in World golf it needs high class winners. The strengthened layout might just go some way towards achieving that very goal.
The true test will be when the field comes under fire for the first time in tomorrow's first round of the time honoured event but so far so good for Els' growing design reputation.
310 yards (275 metres) have been added to the layout which now measures nearly 7400 yards. Given the constraints of the residentially bordered site, that was some achievement. Some thirty bunkers have also been added, ensuring this will be a significantly stronger test than has been the case in recent years. Not that the Harry Colt designed layout has ever been considered a pushover by any stretch of the imagination but the time had come for one of Britain's best inland courses to move into the 21st century.
With this added length it would seem that it will play further into the hands of the long hitters such as Els and Cabrera who have been such significant factors around this golf course in various events over the years. It is true that there will be greater demands on shorter hitters but the aptly named Burma Road has also been tightened, ensuring that it will take a balanced combination of strength and accuracy to tame this layout.
Ernie Els will be under a lot of pressure to not only play well this week but to face the music, both good and bad, about the work he has done here. He is just the type of character to deflect any flack in that regard but surprisingly, although a five time winner at this venue at the World Match Play Championship, he has yet to win this particular event. He was 13th at the recent EDS Byron Nelson event in the US suggesting that he is playing well enough to contend, but his game and his handiwork will be under a lot of scrutiny this week.
Retief Goosen has been 11th in each of his last two attempts to win the BMW but he is in good solid form right now and any lengthening of the golf course is not going to bother him.
Cabrera is the defending champion and has also twice been runner up in the event but he has lost his way form wise this season as he has tried to successfully play both the USPGA and European Tours.
Adam Scott comes off two good finishes in the US when third at both the Wachovia and EDS Byron Nelson tournaments. He was 11th when he last played in this event in 2004 and should be suited by the changes. His record around Wentworth however is not exactly good for one of his standing.
Luke Donald will not necessarily be suited by the added length but will be suited by the further tightening of the layout. He has played this event just the once when 18th in 2004 but he has developed into such a World class player now that this title should not be out of his reach.
Michael Campbell has had a love affair with Wentworth ever since finishing runner up in the corresponding event in his rookie year. He did also win the World Match Play over the same layout last October and has been close enough in his last two events to be a factor this week.
Trevor Immelman finished runner up to Ignacio Garrido here three years ago and as recent results would suggest he is a much better player now than then. Twice runner up in his last two USPGA Tour events should be enough to make him one of the favourites this week.
Three of the contenders late in last week's Nissan Irish Open have good chances this week namely Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke and Paul Casey although not all are comfortable at Wentworth. Bjorn has not featured in recent years despite living locally, Clarke has played well on occasions including when 4th two years ago and while Casey seems to be thereabouts every week now, his record at Wentworth is poor.
There are almost too many other chances to name, such is the quality of this field in a tournament every European Tour member wants to play and win but one other who is definite chance is Jose Maria Olazabal.
The Australasians other than Scott and Campbell are headed by Nick O'Hern who is back in Europe after a few weeks in the US. He played well last week at the Colonial when 12th on a golf course that suited him but he did well at Wentworth last year when third behind Cabrera. His last round of 64 then was something pretty special and although the extra length will be an issue the tighter layout will play into his hands.
Brett Rumford, Richard Green, Peter O'Malley, Wade Ormsby, Marcus Fraser and Peter Fowler make up the rest of those from down under.
The tournament carries prizemoney of €4.25 million with a very healthy €708,000 (A$1.2 million) to the winner.
