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Angel Cabrera won The Greenbrier Classic in 2014, his first non-major title on the PGA TOUR. (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)
• COURSE: The Old White TPC, 7,287 yards, par 70. The Greenbrier’s first 18-hole golf course opened in 1914, named for the Old White Hotel that stood on the site until 1922. President Woodrow Wilson was among the first visitors to test architect Charles Blair Macdonald’s wide fairways and undulating greens. Several holes were modeled after those in Macdonald’s native Scotland, with No. 8 offering a sloped “redan” green much like North Berwick’s 15th. Meanwhile, No. 13 draws upon Prestwick’s “Alps” and the 15th imitates “Eden” at St. Andrews. The Old White’s 18th was the scene of Sam Snead’s final hole-in-one in 1995. The PGA TOUR arrived in 2011, immediately going into the record book as Stuart Appleby’s closing 59 propelled him to win the first Greenbrier Classic.
• FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 points.
• CHARITY: More than 150 organizations have received proceeds from the Greenbrier Classic’s “Badges for Charity” program. This year’s recipients will include United Way of the Greenbrier Valley, The First Tee of West Virginia and Shriners Children's Hospital.
• FIELD WATCH: Bubba Watson, who keeps a summer home at The Greenbrier, and U.S. Open runner-up Louis Oosthuizen head a roster that features six of the top 30 players in this week’s Official World Golf Ranking. … Tiger Woods makes his second visit to the West Virginia hills, seeking to rebound from an early exit at Chambers Bay. His first Greenbrier appearance didn’t last long, either, missing the cut in 2012. … Stanford’s Maverick McNealy tees it up on the tournament’s exemption awaiting the Haskins Award winner. It’ll be McNealy’s second test against PGA TOUR competition, along with last year’s U.S. Open. … Sam O’Dell, a dentist who won his second West Virginia Amateur earlier this month, will also play on a sponsor exemption.
• 72-HOLE RECORD: 258, Stuart Appleby (2010).
• 18-HOLE RECORD: 59, Stuart Appleby (4th round, 2010).
• LAST YEAR: Angel Cabrera notched his first PGA TOUR win outside a major, using a 64-64 weekend to hold off George McNeill’s closing 61 for a two-shot victory. Cabrera, the 2007 U.S. Open and 2009 Masters champion, used birdies at Nos. 11 and 12 and a hole-out for eagle at No. 13 to build a three-shot lead before making things interesting with a pair of late bogeys. But the Argentine reached the green in two on the way to a birdie at the 616-yard, par-5 17th and parred his final hole. McNeill didn’t have long to enjoy his 61, learning after the round that his older sister had died of cancer earlier in the day.
• STORYLINES: The Greenbrier Classic has been a come-from-behind haven since its inception, with no 54-hole leader yet able to close the deal on the final day. Three of the five winners have come from at least four shots back – Jonas Blixt (2013), Ted Potter Jr. (2012) and Stuart Appleby (2010). … Though Watson has eight rounds in the 60s from his two previous visits, he’s still eyeing his first top-15 in his adopted summer home. He tied for 16th last year, which followed a tie for 30th in 2013. … Webb Simpson seeks a breakthrough win at The Greenbrier after three top-10 finishes in his past four visits. He was third a year ago, coming two years after he failed to close out one of those 54-hole leads.
• SHORT CHIPS: Up to four Open Championship berths are in play again this week, for top players among the top 12 finishers not already qualified for St. Andrews. After Sunday, just one berth will be left for the top non-qualified finisher among the top five at next week’s John Deere Classic. … Simpson and Davis Love III are among 13 pros on track to keep perfect attendance at The Greenbrier, making their sixth start in as many editions. … Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton headline the Classic’s annual Friday night concert for badgeholders at the nearby West Virginia fairgrounds. A Wednesday concert features Keith Urban.
• TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS).
• RADIO: Thursday-Friday, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.COM).
congratulations to last weeks winner NoleMoreTears
DFS with a big lead after week 25
my picks for second place are:
