Australians have a chance at Colonial
IN: News | US PGA | Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (2007) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 23 May 2007
The Crowne Plaza Invitational at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, takes centre stage on the USPGA Tour this week as the time honoured event, first played in 1946 and won on five occasions by Ben Hogan, commands the attention of the golfing world.
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 renovated 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.
That it has stood the test of time without the addition of a great deal of length – it is now 7060 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.
The defending champion is Tim Herron, who defeated Richard S. Johnson at the second extra hole last year, winning his first event in more than seven years on the PGA Tour. Rod Pampling, who lives not too far from Fort Worth in Dallas, was very much in the thick of things until a double bogey at the 15th hole in round four. Herron has hardly been in good form this season and it would be a surprise to see him successfully defend but he is more than capable on his day.
This year Jim Furyk will lead the field in terms of world ranking standing and in eleven starts at this event the world number three has had four top tens with a best of second in 1998 to Tom Watson who won his last ever PGA Tour event as a 48 year old that year. Furyk seems a little out of sorts with his form and is hardly convincing.
There are many other players in the field this week because they love the older style golf course that forces players to move the ball both ways and requires an almost old fashion game to succeed.
Australians are in strength both numerically and in terms of their chances this week. Rod Pampling has been quite solid in recent weeks and with a third and sixth place in his last two visits to the Colonial he might improve even further. Pampling has missed only one cut in his last nineteen starts and might be on the verge of a very big week.
John Senden is another Australian who has stepped up a notch since his win at the John Deere last season. Senden has played well in this event and like Pampling has played very solidly for several months. Like Pampling he lives in nearby Dallas so likely considers this a home game.
Nathan Green and Peter Lonard finished in a share of fourth last year at this event and both have a self declared liking for the Colonial layout. Both played well at the recent Players Championship and might continue their love affair with The Colonial Country Club.
Nick O’Hern has been a little disappointing since his earlier good form this season. He did though finish 12th on debut in this event last year and this golf course suits O’Hern’s style of game more than most.
Stephen Ames has played well in this event and although he surprisingly missed the cut when defending at the Players Championship, a return to Colonial might help get him back to the form he was beginning to display earlier.
David Toms has made his last 19 cuts and there has been the suggestion of another win for him on several occasions. He has four top tens to his name at this event including a runner up finish to Nick Price in 2002.
Aaron Oberholser seems to be getting back to winning form after his injury concerns at the start of the year. He was fourth in this event in 2006 and his recent 7th place at the Wachovia gives evidence as to where he is at with his game.
Included Australians other than those mentioned earlier are Steve Elkington, Andrew Buckle returning from injury, Stephen Leaney and Mark Hensby who appears to be close to something better than that he has been producing over the last eighteen months or so.
