Furyk favourite at Buick Open
IN: News | US PGA | Buick Open (2007) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 27 Jun 2007
The PGA Tour is in Grand Blanc, Michigan this week for the Buick Open and although the tournament is without their defending champion and two time winner, Tiger Woods, who is on parenting duties in Florida, it is not without a star or two.
The Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club is once again the venue as it has been for much of the event’s 47 year history. In 1970 and 1971 the tournament was lost to the Tour briefly and between 1972 and 1977 it was played at other courses in the Flint area and even underwent a name change as Buick dropped out of the naming rights sponsorship of the event. Buick and the tournament, returned to Warwick Hills in 1978 where both have remained since.
The course at the Warwick Hills Country Club is originally a James Gilmore Harrison design, opened in 1958. Ten years later Joe Lee set about a major redesign. Lee originally worked with the famed Dick Wilson but he completed some very well regarded courses, including this, on his own following the death of Wilson. The standard of players to win the event in recent years speaks volumes for the quality of the layout.
Jim Furyk won this event in 2003 and has been twice runner up and with a great week at the US Open behind him then he stands a chance to make if five years in succession where a major winner has claimed this event.
Before his missed cut at the US Open, Sean O’Hair was producing some very good finishes in regular tour events and on a golf course where he has been inside the top ten on both occasions in which he has played this event, he is a genuine contender.
Scott Verplank has been in very good form this season and has regularly played well in this event including including a win in 1988 and a runner up placing in 1998. He was fourth to Tiger Woods last year and in his current form is expected to go very well.
Kenny Perry is a previous winner when he produced a brilliant 72 hole total of 263 in 2001. Perry seems to be on the way back after injury issues and his regular good form on this golf course stands him in good stead for getting into contention for the first time in some months. His recent round of 63 at the Memorial was very impressive and indicates his readiness to do well on a golf course that clearly fits his eye.
Woody Austin is another who seems to lift his game at this golf course and although his recent win at the Stanford St Jude Classic has been surrounded by some rather ordinary weeks he enjoys this layout and might go close to repeating his heroics in Memphis.
Robert Allenby heads the Australians and has had played well here in the last two years after struggling in earlier years. Allenby’s problem is his recent tournament finishes which, after such a great start to the year, is a mystery. Maybe he can use this event to rekindle his form.
Other Australians include Rod Pampling, Peter Lonard, John Senden, Stephen Leaney, Steve Elkington, Mathew Goggin, Andrew Buckle, Mark Hensby, the impressive Michael Sim, Paul Gow, Gavin Coles, Paul Sheehan, Steve Allan, Jarrod Lyle, Steve Bowditch and New Zealander Craig Perks.
