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The Players Championship - preview
May 7, 2008
Combining the Australian and New Zealand fields, the Australasians will have 17 players all up looking to win the title, last won by an aussie when Adam Scott claimed his first victory on the US Tour at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2004.
Aussie Matthew Jones and New Zealand’s Tim Wilkinson are two of 14 players in the field who will make their debut at THE PLAYERS Championship and join Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Aaron Baddeley, Michael Campbell (NZL), Steve Elkington, Nathan Green, Mathew Goggin, Mark Hensby, Stephen Leaney, Peter Lonard, Geoff Ogilvy, Nick O’Hern, Rod Pampling, Adam Scott and John Senden in the biggest Australasian contingent ever to contest the prestigious event.
THE PLAYERS Championship annually combines the best field in golf with the world-class venue that is THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Florida, although this year it will be without World Number One Tiger Woods who is recovering from knee surgery. Generally regarded as the 5th Major, THE PLAYERS has the richest purse on the regular PGA Tour schedule with $US9.5 million on offer.
The field features players from 17 countries. Australia leads the way with 15 players, including 2004 PLAYERS champion Adam Scott and dual Champion Steve Elkington who claimed the title in 1991 and again in 1997. Sweden is next with seven players and South Africa and England are represented by six players each. The other countries represented are: Spain (3); Argentina (3); Japan (2); Germany (2); South Korea (2); Canada (2); New Zealand (2); Wales (1); Ireland (1); Fiji (1); Denmark (1); and Colombia (1).
AUSTRALASIAN FORM GUIDE
ROBERT ALLENBY will make his 12th appearance at THE PLAYERS Championship. His best outing was in 2003 when he finished T4th. Allenby comes into the event on the back of a solid performance on the weekend where he stormed home with a bogey-free round of 6 under 66 which included four birdies on the front nine and two on the back to move from T18 overnight and into outright 4th place at the Wachovia Championship. The result was his third top 10 placing on the Tour this season (8th top 25) and his best result since his T4 at The Honda Classic in March. He will tee off the first tee 2:05 pm on Thursday alongside Colombian Camilo Villegas and England’s Paul Casey. OWGR: 36
STUART APPLEBY will also make his 12th appearance at THE PLAYERS Championship. His best outing was on debut in 1997 where he finished T14. He has missed the cut five times in his 11 appearances but had his second best result last year, finishing T16. Appleby started the 2008 season in the US on fire with five top ten finishes in 5 starts. His best result is a T4 at the FBR Open in February. Since then he has missed the cut in two of five events, most recently at last week’s Wachovia Championship. Has undergone recent knee surgery but is confident that won’t affect his game. Appleby will tee off the tenth tee at 1:44pm alongside England’s Luke Donald and South African Retief Goosen. OWGR: 26
AARON BADDELEY is the youngest of the Australasian contingent, turning 27 in March this year. Badds will line up for the fifth time at the Championship early on Thursday morning alongside compatriot Geoff Ogilvy at 8:44am from the 10th tee. Baddeley has missed the cut twice in his four outings here with his best result recorded last year when he finished T37. He was in contention going into the final round but a 5 over saw him slip away from the leaders. Badds has made the cut in 8 of 11 events this year with two top ten results (6 top 25’s). Just last month he fired four rounds in the 60’s at Hilton Head Island to secure his best result this year, T2 at the Verizon Heritage. OWGR: 17
MICHAEL CAMPBELL (NZL) has played on six occasions at THE PLAYERS Championship with his best result T11 in 2002. He has missed the cut on two occasions, his last two appearances. Cambo has played just two events in the US this year, missing the cut both times. He has played 6 events on the 2008 European Tour Schedule with his best result T35 at the BMW Asian Open in April. Cambo will tee off the first at 12:51pm alongside Dean Wilson and Shaun Micheel on Thursday. OWGR: 287
STEVE ELKINGTON is the most experienced of the Australasians having appeared at THE PLAYERS Championship 17 times. As a two time winner of the event, in 1991 and 1997 he is without doubt the most successful of the Australasians. Elk last played at THE PLAYERS in 2007 where he finished T12 alongside fellow aussie Mathew Goggin. The Elk has played in ten events on the US Tour this year with three top ten finishes, his best a T4 at the FBR Open in February. He comes into this weekend’s events having missed the cut at his last event, the EDS Byron Nelson Championship a fortnight ago, but before that he had finished T14th and T10 in his previous two starts. Elk will tee off at 7:20am from the first tee on Thursday with Heath Slocum and J.P. Hayes. OWGR: 119
MATHEW GOGGIN will make just his third appearance at THE PLAYERS Championship when he lines up this week alongside compatriot Nick O’Hern and American Cliff Kresge at 12:20pm from the tenth tee. Goggin first played the event in 2001 where he finished T70 before a break of six years. He returned last year to finish in a T12 alongside Steve Elkington. The Tasmanian has played in 12 events in the US this year, making ten cuts and recording six top 25 finishes. His best result is T7 at The Honda Classic in March and he comes into the event making five consecutive cuts with the last four resulting in top 20 finishes. OWGR: 163
NATHAN GREEN will mark his third outing at TPC this year after recording his best finish at the Championship in his last appearance in 2007 where he T16. He was in contention after 36 holes as he was just one shot behind eventual winner Phil Mickelson but a third round 74 set him back. The Newcastle born Green, winner of the 2006 Holden New Zealand Open is in his third year on the US Tour and has played in 13 events this year making 10 cuts. He has four top 25 finishes with his best result a 3rd at the Honda Classic in March. Green comes into the event having made five consecutive cuts and will tee off the first at 8:54am with Jerry Kelly and Kevin Sutherland. OWGR: 94
MARK HENSBY returns to compete in TPC having missing last year’s event. It will be Hensby’s third appearance. His last outing was in 2006 where he finished 74th, one place behind his best result recorded in 2005 (T73rd). Hensby has made the cut in seven of 11 events this year, recording his best result recently, T4 at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship won by Adam Scott. Hensby missed the cut at last week’s Wachovia Championship. He tees off the tenth tee at 12:30pm alongside Steve Marino and Miguel Angel Jimenez. OWGR: 199
MATTHEW JONES is one of 14 players in the field making his debut at TPC alongside fellow Australasian Tim Wilkinson from NZ. Jones graduated from the 2007 Nationwide Tour Top 25 and is in his rookie US TOUR year in 2008. He has had an impressive start to his season making 10 cuts from 13 starts and has 4 top 25 finishes including a T4 at The Honda Classic. He comes into TPC having missed three of his last four cuts and tees off the first at 2:15pm with fellow aussie Peter Lonard and Japan’s Shigeki Maryuama.
OWGR: 197
STEPHEN LEANEY will make his sixth appearance at the event having never made a cut previously. The West Australian who has been a member of the US Tour since 2004, has made 5 cuts from 11 events this season with his best result T30 at the FBR Open. He has made his last two cuts heading into this week’s event. Leaney tees off at 9:15 Thursday morning with Ben Crane and Niclas Fasth. OWGR: 232
PETER LONARD returns to TPC for the sixth time. The New South Welshman had his best finish at the event last year when he finished T6 alongside Adam Scott, the best of the aussies. In 2007 Lonard hit driver, 5-iron into the hole on No. 2 during the third round becoming just one of two players who has recorded a double eagle during play at THE PLAYERS. He has had a mixed year so far making six cuts from 13 events and recording two top tens (3 top 25’s) in the process. His best result is second at The Zurich Classic of New Orleans. A niggling back complaint forced him to withdraw after three holes of his second round at the Wachovia Championship last week (the first time he has ever had to withdraw from an event) but he appears on the mend and will line up alongside Matt Jones and Shigeki Maryuama at 2:15pm on Thursday. OWGR: 57
GEOFF OGILVY will make his 7th appearance at THE PLAYERS Championship this week. His best result was in 2004 when he finished T16. He missed the cut the following two years but finished T37 last year. After missing the cut in his first three events this year co-inciding with the birth of his second child, Ogilvy has since made the last seven with three top 10 finishes, including a triumphant win at the World Golf Championship – CA Championship in March. It was Ogilvy’s second WGC career title and consequently ended Tiger Woods five consecutive PGA Tour titles winning streak. Ogilvy followed that finishing T2 in his next event, the Shell Houston Open. He tees off on Thursday with Aaron Baddeley and Daniel Chopra from the tenth tee at 8:44am.
OWGR: 6
NICK O’HERN has played at the event for the past three years with his best result on debut in 2005 when he finished T24. He has missed the cut the last two years. O’Hern, now a regular on the US Tour, has played in 10 events this season, making 5 cuts. He posted his first top 10 of the year at the World Golf Championship – CA Championship courtesy of weekend rounds of 66 & 67. The left handed West Australian’s has also recorded two top 20 results including T13 at the FBR Open and T17 at the WGC – Accenture MatchPlay. He has missed the cut in two of his last three events leading into this week but managed a T40 at last week’s Wachovia Championship. O’Hern will tee off the tenth tee at 12:20 with fellow aussie Mathew Goggin and American Cliff Kresge.
OWGR: 50
ROD PAMPLING had his best result at THE PLAYERS Championship alongside Geoff Ogilvy in 2004 when he finished T16. He finished T44 last year. Has had mixed form this year having made six cuts from 12 starts but with three top ten results thrown in the mix. He has missed the cut in two of his last three starts but found form at the right time last week when he finished T8 at the Wachovia Championship. Pamps will return to the event for the 6th time on the back of his third top 10 result last week. He lines up alongside Charley Hoffman and Paul Goydos at the 10th tee at 8:12am.
OWGR: 63
ADAM SCOTT won his first event on the US PGA TOUR when he claimed the THE PLAYERS Championship in 2004 and has recorded three top ten finishes here including a T6 last year with Peter Lonard and T8 in 2005. He will line up at THE PLAYERS for the seventh time and at World Number 3 is the second highest ranked player in the field behind World number 2 and defending champion Phil Mickelson. Scott has had a stellar year to date with victories on the European and US Tours. In January he shot a final round course record and career best 11 under 61 to win the Commercialbank Qatar Masters by three shots. He has since played in seven events on the US Tour this year, recording 6 top 25 results including three top tens. He recorded his second victory of the year at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship two weeks ago sinking a 48 foot putt on the third play off hole to defeat American Ryan Moore and finished T8 at last week’s Wachovia Classic. Scott tees off the first tee at 1:33pm alongside Jim Furyk and Johnson Wagner.
OWGR: 3
JOHN SENDEN lines up at THE PLAYERS Championship for the 6th time. Senden has made the cut three times in his last four appearances with his best result recorded in 2005 when he finished T22. Senden has made the cut in 11 of 13 events this year recording two top ten finishes including a T2 at The Pods Championship, finishing two shots off the lead. He also finished T8 at the Buick Invitational. Senden has finished in the Top 30 in his last three events heading into this week’s Championship. He tees off the tenth tee at 1:12pm with J.J.Henry and Chris DiMarco.
OWGR: 52
TIM WILKINSON (NZL) is the other Australasian with Matt Jones on debut this week. Wilkinson is also in his rookie season on the US Tour after graduating from the 2007 Nationwide Tour and has made seven of 12 cuts this year. In an impressive start, the left hander has achieved two top 10 finishes – in consecutive events - this year. His first top ten result was a T6 at the Puerto Rico Open in March followed by a third placing at the Zurich Classic a week later. He has missed his last two cuts coming into this week’s event. Wilkinson tees off at 2:05pm from the tenth tee with Lee Westwood and Dudley Hart.
OWGR: 271
PAST AUSTRALASIAN WINNERS AT THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
1991: Steve Elkington defeated Zoeller by a stroke and is still the only golfer to win the tournament by making birdie on the 18th.
1994: Greg Norman produced a total of 24 under 264. The Great White Shark opened the tournament with a 63 and set course records at 130 for 36 holes and 197 for 54. His 24 under total was six shots better than the course record set by Nick Price the previous year and still stands today.
1997: Steve Elkington again succeeded with a dominant display boasting a seven-stroke victory over Scott Hoch in 1997. The Elk is one of just three players who are two time winners of the event.
2002: Craig Perks NZL) stunned the golfing world when ranked at 203 on the Official World Golf Ranking, he became the first player to win his first PGA Tour event at THE PLAYERS Championship. His even par round of 72 on Sunday saw him chip in for eagle on the par 5 16th, land a 28 foot birdie putt on the par 3 17th and chip in for par on the par 4 18th to finish two shots ahead of runner up Stephen Ames.
2004: Adam Scott won his first US PGA Tour event at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2004 when he finished one shot ahead of Irishman Padraig Harrington.
What: THE PLAYERS Championship
Dates: May 8-11, 2008
Where: TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
FedExCup Points: 27,500 (4,950 to champion)
Purse: $US9 million ($US1.7 million - winner’s share)
Course: THE PLAYERS Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass
Format: 72-hole stroke play
Field Size: 144
Defending Champion: Phil Mickelson 67-72-69-69=277 (-11)
2008 Australasian Field: Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Aaron Baddeley, Michael Campbell (NZL), Steve Elkington, Nathan Green, Mathew Goggin, Mark Hensby, Matthew Jones, Stephen Leaney, Peter Lonard, Geoff Ogilvy, Nick O’Hern, Rod Pampling, Adam Scott, John Senden, Tim Wilkinson NZL.
Biggest Australasian field at THE PLAYERS: 2008 – 17 (15 Australians, 2 New Zealanders)
Most appearances of Australasians: Steve Elkington: 17 previous appearances
Making debut: Matthew Jones and Tim Wilkinson NZL
Oldest Australasian: Steve Elkington – 46 years
Youngest Australasian: - Aaron Baddeley – 27 years
Facts:
· The field at this week’s PLAYERS features 101 competitors who have won on the PGA TOUR.
· 49 of the Top 50 on the Fed Ex Money List are playing (only Tiger Woods who is recovering from surgery will be absent)
· The field also includes 25 players who have won major championships.
· Steve Elkington is one of only five players to have won THE PLAYERS twice with Jack Nicklaus, Hal Sutton, Davis Love III and Fred Couples. Jack Nicklaus is the only three time winner.
· Elkington’s seven stroke win over Scott Hoch in 1997 remains the highest winning margin.
· Adam Scott’s one stroke victory over Irishman Padraig Harrington in 2004 made him the youngest player to win the championship at 23 years, 8 months and 12 days. It was Adam’s first victory on the US Tour.
· Of the 8 international winners in the history of THE PLAYERS Championship, five of the titles have gone to Australasians (see past Aust winners).
· The youngest player in the field this week is 22-year old Anthony Kim, the winner last week at the Wachovia Championship. The oldest player is Fred Funk, the 2005 PLAYERS champion, who will turn 52 on June 14.
AUSTRALASIAN TEE TIMES
Tee #1
Florida Time / AEST time
7:20 am / 9:20pm Slocum, Heath, Hayes, J.P., Elkington, Steve
8:54 am / 10:54pm Kelly, Jerry, Sutherland, Kevin, Green, Nathan
9:15 am/ 11:15pm Crane, Ben, Leaney, Stephen, Fasth, Niclas
Tee #10
8:12 am/ 10:12pm, Hoffman, Charley, Goydos, Paul, Pampling, Rod
8:44 am/ 10:44pm, Ogilvy, Geoff, Chopra, Daniel, Baddeley, Aaron
Tee #1
12:51 pm / 2:51am, Wilson, Dean, Campbell, Michael, Micheel, Shaun
1:33 pm / 3:33am Scott, Adam, Wagner, Johnson, Furyk, Jim
2:05 pm / 4:05am Allenby, Robert, Villegas, Camilo, Casey, Paul
2:15 pm / 2:15am Lonard, Peter, Maruyama, Shigeki, Jones, Matt
Tee # 10
12:20 pm / 2:20am Goggin, Mathew, O'Hern, Nick, Kresge, Cliff
12:30 pm / 2:30am Hensby, Mark, Marino, Steve, Jimenez, Miguel A.
1:12 pm / 3:12am Senden, John, Henry, J.J., DiMarco, Chris
1:44 pm / 3:44am Appleby, Stuart, Donald, Luke, Goosen, Retief
2:05 pm / 4:05am Hart, Dudley, Westwood, Lee, Wilkinson, Tim
TELEVISION COVERAGE IN AUSTRALIA: FOX SPORTS
Fri 9 May Round 1 LIVE 3.00am (FOX SPORTS 1)
Sat 10 May Round 2 LIVE 3.00am (FOX SPORTS 1)
Sun 11 May Round 3 LIVE 4.00am (FOX SPORTS 1)
Mon 12 May Final Round LIVE 4.00am (FOX SPORTS 1)