It's crunch time at Deutsche Bank
IN: News | US PGA | Deutsche Bank Championship (2008) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 27 Aug 2008
With the race for the FedEx Cup now taking on even greater attention, the eyes of the golfing world will be on the Arnold Palmer designed TPC Boston for this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship when 115 players will continue their quest for the massive dollars on offer.
Many have scoffed at the idea of the PGA Tour throwing money at itself to provide a boost in its popularity but with the prospect of someone other than the game’s most successful player winning in 2008 there appears to be increasing intrigue in the outcome. Maybe it is also because we are beginning to understand the concept a little better and that the rules have been tweaked further to allow greater competition for the US$10 million first prize.
Of further interest is that on next Tuesday, Paul Azinger confirms his final four for the US Ryder Cup side, making a good showing for the likes of Steve Stricker, Woody Austin, Hunter Mahan and others of even greater importance.
Originally 120 players would have been eligible for this week’s event but with injuries and a preference for some to play elsewhere, only 115 will seek FedEx Cup glory this week as they look to increase their chances of being in contention for the final prize in Atlanta in three weeks time.
The leading 70 players in FedEx Cup points will be eligible to advance to next week’s BMW in St Louis before the top 30 advance to the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Notable absentees this week include Justin Rose who will instead press his final claims for European Ryder Cup inclusion at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. Tiger Woods, Luke Donald and Alex Cjeka (injury) and Lee Westwood (Johnnie Walker) are the others eligible but not in Boston.
The defending champion at this event is Phil Mickelson who seems just a little off the boil since his win at the Crown Plaza in Fort Worth. He has been close enough however for just a minor improvement to have him successfully defending. One start for one win in this event is form that is hard to fault.
Vijay Singh has mixed his form in recent weeks, having won twice but been noticeably absent from contention in several other events.
A previous winner and runner up at his venue, including when gaining the world number one mantle as a result of his victory in 2004, Singh is highly likely to win his third title at this venue.
Singh won his fourth Barclays last week and that trend of winning the same title on several occasions might just continue this week.
Sergio Garcia has been all around victory in recent weeks, finishing runner up in three of his last four starts. Surely his time must come and with a good week when 9th in this event last year, he and his fans have every reason for confidence.
Padraig Harrington has won two of his last four starts and although he missed the cut last week and in his only visit to this course last year, his current status in the game must give him some chance.
It’s not often I pick Robert Allenby as a likely winner of an event of this magnitude but there has been plenty to like about Allenby’s form in recent months and he has a good record on this golf course. Allenby was 4th two years ago and has often recorded good rounds on this layout even when not contending.
Adam Scott has a great record on this golf course having won and finished runner up in his fist two years at the event and then finishing 4th last year. With missed cuts in his last two starts, including a horror second round at the Barclays last week, and a question mark around his form since damaging his finger in a car door earlier in the season, it is hard to get excited about Scott’s chances.
Ken Duke just keeps playing well and it would not surprise to see him doing so again. He made the cut here last year before finishing well back but he has been regularly in contention in the last three months and is a much improved player. It might be a bit much to expect him to win against this company and in an event of such significance but do not be surprised if he goes close to doing so.
Steve Stricker has played well at this course in the past and in fact it was as an invite to this event in 2006 when he finished 7th that effectively got things back on track for him after a long period in the golfing wilderness. He showed early in last week’s event that he still his game is still in reasonable shape and he might benefit from being back on a golf course that means a lot to him.
Australians in the event other than Allenby and Scott are Geoff Ogilvy, Aaron Baddeley, Stuart Appleby, Rod Pampling, Mathew Goggin, Nick O’Hern, John Senden, Steve Elkington, Peter Lonard and Jason Day.
Already those players eliminated last week from the FedEx Cup (Nathan Green and Matt Jones) have secured a bonus US$32,000 just by making to the top 144. Those eliminated this week are guaranteed a minimum of US$70,000 in addition to whatever they may earn this week.
