Petterson the favourite at Viking Classic
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2007 Viking Classic | Preview | 26 Sep 2007
The renamed Viking Classic takes the spotlight as far as strokeplay events on the PGA Tour are concerned this week, the tournament replacing, in name at least, the Southern Farm Bureau Classic.
The Jack Nicklaus designed Annandale Golf Club in Madison Mississippi, is still the venue for the event, which has its origins back in 1968 when it was then known as the Magnolia State Classic.
D.J Trahan won here last year and did well also in 2005 with a last round of 65 to finish 12th. Clearly the man from Georgia has a comfort zone on this layout but his biggest concern is his current form, recording a best finish of 28th in his last 11 starts in 2007. Having said that his form in 2006, prior to winning this event, was very similar and it might be that a return to the Annandale Golf Club again sparks a return to top form.
Carl Petterson is the favourite in most people’s eyes and understandably so. He finished 5th last week at the Turning Stone event and has good record in this event having finished runner up to Heath Slocum in 2005.
John Senden has a best of only 14th in four starts in this event but he is such an improved golfer over the past eighteen months that he deserves to be considered a likely winner. His third place last week in Verona gave further evidence of just how far he has come and his 4th place behind Woods at the recent PGA Championship further highlighted his standing in the game.
The highest world ranked player in the field (28th) is Brett Wetterich and with a recent runner up placing at the Deutsche Bank event in Boston he stands a good chance this week. He was disappointing at the Tour Championship when he finished last amongst the small field but he should do much better this week. He was 12th in this event two years ago suggesting that he possesses a reasonable feel for this layout.
Boo Weekly will feel at home in the deep south this week and he is in very good form of late having made a lot of cuts in recent weeks and of course he won the Heritage earlier in the year. He is enjoying his best season on Tour with earnings in 2007 of US$2.4 million, more than any other player in this field.
Bo Van Pelt has often played well at this event and although his form in recent weeks has been somewhat of a rollercoaster it would not surprise to see him do well.
Australian Richard Green has a chance to further improve the record of lefthanders on the PGA Tour following the win of Steve Flesch last week. Green is taking advantage of a break in the European Tour to play events in the US on invite and with one of the great Open Championship final rounds behind him recently, he stands a great chance of having a good week.
Green has not played often in the US but six top tens on the European Tour this season including his 4th place at Carnoustie and his win in Austria have him at the peak of his game. If he is able to produce that sort of form this week he has a good chance.
Other Australians in the field other than Senden and Green are Mathew Goggin, Steve Elkington, Nick Flanagan, Andrew Buckle, Jarrod Lyle, Gavin Coles, Michael Sim, Paul Gow and Mark Hensby while New Zealand has its strongest PGA Tour representation in some time with Grant Waite, Phil Tataurangi and Craig Perks all looking for the miracle that will help them to PGA Tour status in 2008.
Coles, Buckle, Lyle, Sim and Gow all need big weeks in the next few starts if they are to regain their full status on the PGA Tour in 2008.
