Crown Plaza Invitational

First topic message reminder :

AS usual we have an offering from the PGA tour thats classed as an invitational event.

Not sure what the OGWR spilt is this week as the higher ranked of the top 1o players with the exception of big Phil are in Andalucia this week going man on man in the matchplay. Kwini maybe able to help me here as he has far greater knowledge of the US tour so any input wil be much appreciated.

This weeks the return to Dallas Forth Worths Colonial Country club, a place steeped in tradition and in my mind a least a beautiful course. My knowledge of this event unfortunately ends there at knowing what this course looks like, as for some reason it's not an event i've really followed to much down the years no idea why though!

So for better insight here's what Mike McAllister is saying on the offical www.pgatour.com website.

"You can't get away with errant shots," he said. "It rewards quality shots. It rewards quality putting. That's what you want out of a golf course."

Of course, that's what you want out of any golf course, but like snowflakes and self-taught swings, no two are exactly alike. Each course generally has its own set of quirks, or favors certain kinds of players, or is built to produce certain kind of results.

Colonial is no exception, but what makes this unique is that the course is a throwback to another era, when shot-making ruled and bombing off the tee was not rewarded unless you were passing the hat at some long-drive exhibition.

No venue has hosted a TOUR event for a longer continuous time than Colonial, which celebrates its 65th anniversary this week (the country club itself turns 75). Although changes to the course have been made via the natural process of evolution through the years, has any TOUR course changed so little over such a long period of time?

Consider this: when Colonial hosted its first tournament in 1946, it played to 7,035 yards; this week, it will play to 7,204 yards. That's 169 yards in 65 years. Compare that to Augusta National, which was a 6,700-yard layout for its first Masters in 1934 and played to 7,445 yards last month, a difference of 745 yards in 75 years.

Not saying either approach is better. Just completely different.

Winning at Colonial 65 years ago (Ben Hogan was your champ back then, his first of five wins) required precision shots and solid play with the putter. Winning at Colonial on Sunday will require the same thing.

"It's such a great old golf course," said Tom Lehman, who won here in 1995 and is making his 16th start in this event. "I don't feel like it benefits anybody other than those that could hit the right shots and can have a great putter."

A year ago, Colonial ranked first among all TOUR courses in shortest fairway proximity and second in closest proximity to the hole. Translation: You better stick those iron shots close to the pin because everybody else is doing so, too.

No doubt this tournament belongs to the precision artists, guys such as Johnson and Lehman and Corey Pavin and Kenny Perry and Nick Price, all past winners. There's a reason why 11 of the top 15 guys in driving accuracy are in this week's field -- it would've been 12 had Scott Verplank not withdrawn due to injury -- while just five of the top 15 in driving distance are here.

So there we have this weeks offering, apologies for having to use the Cut and paste from the tours site instead of my usual own look on the event but I need to spend more time watching htis one to know about it, but thats not really going ot happen as the matchplay is on this week and I do love a good matchplay event

What is it about the weather in Forth Worth? Every time I've switched the golf on since Thursday all I've seen is chat in the studio due to thunder storms.

Sod's law, they've been in a severe drought until the past couple of weeks, risk of thunderstorms Sunday also.
You're not missing much though, been boring as Hell the first two hours. No putts holed, no birdies made, no electricity (except meteorologically) and looks like nobody cares.
11.30 p.m. in Edgbaston right now, play resumes in 15 minutes.

It might not have been a great days play but at least it has set up and interesting final round... which at one stage looked as though it would be a precession for Toms.

Redrage,
Turned out you were spot on! The threat of Appleby, which he then swiftly extinguished in an extraordinary display of self-destruction, Toms's eagle, Wi's wobbles, all made for an exciting final round. Even better is the fact that Dustin Johnson and Kuchar have been announced as late additions to a very mediocre Byron Nelson field.

Kwini

Do you know where phil will be playing in the run up to the US open?

Since my bet for the week (Mark Wilson) seemed to chuck it from the back 9 onwards on Saturday, I am glad it was Toms who grabbed the win. His play over the last two weeks on tough courses really deserved something it. He looks like he could contend every week if he can keep up that level of ball striking.

Mac,
Not sure about Phil; he usually prefers to play the week before each Major which would suggest Memphis, but he's said before that the TPC they use makes for poor preparation for US Open sites. So last year he practised in California instead, and this year I'd anticipate he might play Memorial and then practice at a course with Congressional characteristics.
Either way, can't fancy him at Congressional; would think it will suit more the Mahan, Westwood, Karlsson, Scott type of driver.

I dunno, for some reason I fancy phil this year. He has been a little quiet and it seems he has a knack of competing for US opens, of course as yet not winning them. As Toms has shown us the old guard are still in the hunt.

Sergio Garcia has withdrawn from today's IFQ for The Open Championship which means that he's currently not qualified for either "Open". Infected finger apparently, no word on whether he'll play Thursday's Byron Nelson, but hopefully he will - it's an increasingly important event for him.

If my finger was hacked of in excruciating fashion I would still tee it up to qualify for the open. I hope he knows something we dont as his tour play will not get him in as far as I can tell.