Stars flock to Wachovia Championship
IN: News | US PGA | Wachovia Championship (2007) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 02 May 2007
The Wachovia Championship has only been an event on the PGA Tour since 2003 but such is its growing reputation that it has attracted an outstanding field for 2007.
Played at the famed Quail Hollow facility in Charlotte in North Carolina, the tournament now fits perfectly into the schedule for the many players looking to gear up for next week’s Players Championship at Sawgrass. Every one of the top ten players in the world is in the field, headed by Tiger Woods who has played the event twice previously without winning. Woods finished 3rd in 2004 behind Joey Sindelar and in 2005 was 11th behind Vijay Singh.
In 2006 only Tiger Woods of the top ten in the world was missing, highlighting the impact and success the tournament and the layout at Quail Hollow have had in enticing the leading players in the world to the event in just three short years.
PGA Tour tournament golf returned to Quail Hollow in 2003 after a long absence and the layout, revamped by Tom Fazio in 2003, received almost universal and immediate acceptance. The original George Cobb design had first been built in the early 1960’s then remodelled in 1986 by Arnold Palmer. Fazio revamped the layout in 1997 and completed his work in 2003 in time for the return of the PGA Tour that year.
Measuring 7450 yards, the course carries Bent greens but Bermuda everywhere else.
Woods has not played since his near miss at Augusta and will clearly be the man to beat as he is every time he tees it up but Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh boast the best records in the event having both won and finished runner up in two of their visits to the tournament.
Furyk has not been in his best form since an injury a few weeks ago but the world number two golfer has a comfort zone around Quail Hollow which might be enough to see him return to form.
Singh has added several very solid weeks to his win at Bay Hill six weeks ago and it will be a surprise if he is not giving Tiger grief at the weekend. A last round of 81, on what was admittedly a tough last day for all last year in this tournament, defied belief but that round apart he has been brilliant every time he has played the course.
Phil Mickelson’s last round in Dallas indicated that he is close to winning after a poor month or so prior. This course will certainly identify any weaknesses he still has in his driving accuracy.
Retief Goosen blew a great chance last year after a last round of 77 which included a quintuple bogey 9 at the last. Suffice to say it cost Goosen a lot of money slipping from third to 10th in a matter of moments. He played reasonably in Asia two weeks ago but a better indication to where he is at with his game might be to look at his runner up finish at the Masters.
Geoff Ogilvy has played this demanding layout well as he does most quality layouts these days and although he did not play well at Hilton Head he was going very well at the Masters until the 15th hole on Saturday. It would not surprise to see him play very well this week.
Zach Johnson will perhaps have recovered from the realisation that he is the Masters Champion by now but with three missed cuts at this event he is not exactly convincing with his chances. Mind you not many would have thought he could win at Augusta.
Vaughn Taylor has played beautifully in recent weeks including when 10th at Augusta. He followed that up with a very good fourth at Hilton head and with the benefit of a week off to recover he stands a very good chance of adding to his two previous top tens at Quail Hollow.
Bo Van Pelt has been very consistent of late and did finish 6th in this event last year. Lucas Glover is another in his category with a chance while Brett Wetterich may not be the most people’s favourite in terms of winning chances but his recent record is very impressive. He has made very poor starts in each of his two starts at this event but if he can get things moving forward on day one he is a chance.
The Australians challenge, other than Ogilvy, is led by the world number four, Adam Scott, who has been home in Australia and in Switzerland and is now back ready to play after a less than satisfactory effort at Augusta. He was very convincing the week before in Houston and if the real Adam Scott turns up he could easily challenge. He finished third in the event last year.
Rod Pampling played well in Dallas, Robert Allenby and Stuart Appleby have been very good at times in early season events, Aaron Baddeley, Stephen Leaney, Nick O’Hern, John Senden, Peter Lonard, Nathan Green, Mathew Goggin, Mark Hensby and Craig Perks provide plenty of down-under interest.
