Casey the favourite at Gleneagles
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2007 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles | Preview | 29 Aug 2007
The Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles is the next stop for the European Tour where Paul Casey will look to defend his 2006 win and further develop his great record at Gleneagles. Casey won his very first European Tour event in his rookie season in 2001 at this venue.
In the rolling highlands of Perthshire in Scotland, The Gleneagles Hotel boasts three 18 hole layouts and has played host to this event and its forerunner since it was first played there in 1999.
The tournament has assembled a relatively strong field although Casey faces a considerably weaker line-up than those he has been facing in recent weeks in both the US and Europe. He has not been at his peak but it might just be that a return to Gleneagles will be enough to get him close to it.
Lee Westwood has played with a great level of consistency in the past six months and has often played well in Scotland. He can be expected to perform well this week.
Understandably Colin Montgomerie has a good record in Scotland. His form in 2007 has been somewhat of a mixed bag, winning in Ireland but missing four cuts in his last eight starts.
Soren Hansen looks a likely prospect in an event where he finished runner up last year. Hansen missed the cut at the PGA Championship in Tulsa at his last start but his form earlier had been first class, finishing runner up in both Germany and France.
Germany’s Martin Kaymer struggled early in his European Tour career after a brilliant season in 2006 on the Challenge Tour. In recent weeks things have gotten a little better if perhaps still inconsistent. He was runner up last week at the KLM Open and finished third at the French Open earlier in the season. He is a highly talented player destined to become one of Europe’s best and if that is the case then he might continue on with his KLM form this week.
Of the Australasians, it will be interesting to see how Steve Alker backs up from his best European Tour finish last week in Holland. Alker is not a long hitter and was assisted by the firm fast fairways last week at the Kennemer Golf Club. He needs another €40,000 or so to be assured of his status for 2008 and this week offers a good opportunity.
Peter O’Malley has won at Gleneagles, albeit on another of their layouts, but when he did win in 1992 at the Scottish Open he created a record finish to get up and beat Colin Montgomerie.
Brett Rumford finished 7th in this event last year, while Marcus Fraser, who led the US Open at one stage this year, David Bransdon, Matthew Millar, Wade Ormsby, Terry Pilkadaris and Terry Price make up the rest.
