? COURSE: The Old White TPC, 7,287 yards, par 70. Named for
the Old White Hotel that stood on the grounds until 1922, designer
Charles Blair Macdonald modeled several holes after those in his native
Scotland. The eighth hole features a sloped "redan" green styled after
North Berwick's 15th, while No. 13 draws upon the "Alps" at Prestwick
and No. 15 imitates "Eden" at St. Andrews. The 18th hole was the scene
of Sam Snead's final hole-in-one in 1995. The PGA TOUR's first visit was
one for the record book, when Stuart Appleby's stunning Sunday 59
catapulted him to victory in the Greenbrier Classic's debut.
? FIELD WATCH: Masters champion Bubba Watson, whose
first visit to The Greenbrier last year prompted him to buy property
nearby, and FedExCup leader Jimmy Walker head a lineup that includes
seven of the top 30 players in this week's world rankings. … Patrick
Rodgers, a winner seven times during his college days at Stanford, is in
the field on an exemption given to the Haskins Award winner. It'll be
Rodgers' third professional start. … Hall of Famer Nick Faldo puts down
his TV headset long enough for his second PGA TOUR start of 2014, to go
with two on the Champions Tour. … U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson
makes his fourth start in the event. Watson has held the title of
"Professional Emeritus" at The Greenbrier since 2005.
? 72-HOLE RECORD: 258, Stuart Appleby (2010).
? 18-HOLE RECORD: 59, Stuart Appleby (4th round, 2010).
? LAST YEAR: Jonas Blixt stormed back from a four-shot
deficit to notch his second PGA TOUR victory, emerging from a five-man
chase over the final five holes for a two-shot victory. Blixt carded a
3-under-par 67 on a stormy Sunday, moving to the front with a 9-foot
birdie at No.16, and none of his pursuers made a birdie after that.
Johnson Wagner (73), Matt Jones (68), Steven Bowditch (68) and Jimmy
Walker (71) shared second. Blixt's victory also was his first top-10
finish of what had been a frustrating 2013.
? STORYLINES: Can anyone convert a 54-hole lead at The
Greenbrier? Blixt was the fourth winner in as many editions to come from
off the pace, including Appleby's 59 and Ted Potter Jr. erasing a
four-shot deficit with four holes to play in 2012. … Walker, the only
man with three top-10 finishes at The Greenbrier, goes after a fourth
victory in this wraparound season. Before last year's runner-up finish,
he tied for fourth in both 2010 and '11. … Steve Stricker makes just his
eighth start of the season, trying to build on his tie for 21st at the
U.S. Open. Before that, he had top-15 finishes at THE PLAYERS and
Memorial Tournament.
? SHORT CHIPS: Up to four Open Championship berths are
up for grabs again this week, given to top players not already qualified
from among the top 12 finishers at The Greenbrier. After Sunday, just
one more spot will be left for the top non-qualified finisher at next
week's John Deere Classic. … Charles Howell III hasn't missed a visit to
The Greenbrier yet, though might feel a little snakebitten. In 2010, he
became the first man in four years to have a bogey-free week and not
win; last year's missed cut dropped him one spot out of landing an Open
Championship berth via FedExCup points. … Maroon 5 presents a Fourth of
July concert on The Greenbrier grounds after completion of Friday's
round. Another concert follows Saturday night, this time featuring Jimmy
Buffett.
Last week's winners Bill and dfs. Congrats Bill!
Updated Standings
1. Bill - 7782
2. dfs - 7651
3. 2952 - 6738
4. NMT - 6471
5. Sea - 6336
6. Ocala - 5695
7. Bobcat - 5658
8. DL - 5242
9. NiA - 5239
10. Lizard - 4792
11. 67810 - 4365
12. Ed - 4293
13. pdubb - 2895
14.g2f - 2758
Good Luck!
This post was edited on 7/6 6:48 PM by DFSNOLE
Field
