Els, Stricker headline PODS
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2008 PODS Championship | Preview | 04 Mar 2008
The PGA Tour heads north west this week to the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club’s Copperhead Course at Palm Harbor near Tampa for the PODS Championship, an event that until last season had been played late in the year.
First played in 2000, the event moved to the new date in 2007 as a result of a window of opportunity that arose out of the reshuffling involved in the introduction of the FedEx Cup Series. It therefore moved from its date in October to March.
The Copperhead layout was originally designed in 1972 by Chicago architect, Larry Pickard, but like so many courses of its era – especially those used for PGA Tour events – it has gone under the surgeon’s knife in recent years. It now measures 7340 yards.
The defending champion is Mark Calcavecchia, who again proved that Florida golf seems to agree with him when he finished 4th last week at the Honda Classic, an event he had won twice previously. A brilliant course record equaling 62 in round three of this event last year set up the victory after he had switched to a new putter for round two following a horror opening round with a new prototype putter he had been sent.
The favourite though will no doubt be Ernie Els coming off his fine win last week, but given that he took more than three years to win his 16th event on the PGA Tour, it might be a little much to expect him to back up. Els has though played well in this event previously, being in contention through 36 holes in 2006 at one of his only two starts in the event. He finished 6th that year.
The man Els replaced as the world number three as a result of his win last week, Steve Stricker, is back in action after making it to the third round at the Accenture and generally playing well in his early season events. Stricker does not have a good relationship with this layout having missed the cut in his two appearances in this event although he is a much better player than he was then.
After returning from injury at the Northern Trust Open where he played for the first time in 2008, Justin Rose is finding form, his 15th place at the Honda last week proof of that. His last round of 67, the equal best of the day, is further evidence that he is on the verge of another run of form similar to that which made him one of the best players in the world in 2007. Rose has played this event on three occasions making the cut each time and as a player with far stronger credentials now he might do well.
Jonathan Byrd has often played this event well and although his form has been a real mixture of late he might stand a chance. He did beat Ernie Els in the opening round of the Accenture.
Kenny Perry has made 15 of his last 16 cuts on tour and he has generally played very well in this event. He had a nice week last week when 20th at the Honda and I feel has a very good chance this week.
There are plenty of Australians in the field again looking to emulate or better last week’s event where four finished inside the top ten. John Senden finished runner up to Calcavecchia last year in this event after a last round of 66. He has been solid enough of late for a repeat to not be a great surprise.
Nathan Green quietly worked his way into 3rd place last week and having finished 12th in this event last year he has some chance of another good finish.
Other Australians include Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, the sadly out of form Geoff Ogilvy, the improving Peter Lonard, Jason Day, last week’s surprise Matt Jones, Nick O’Hern, Rod Pampling, Mathew Goggin, Steve Elkington, Nick Flanagan, Brett Rumford, Stephen Leaney and Mark Hensby.
