A preview, stats and best bets for this week's PGA Tour event - the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield.
A preview, stats and best bets for this week's PGA Tour event - the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield
It's the last chance saloon for golfers hoping to qualify for the forthcoming FedEx Cup play-offs.
The top 125 professionals in the FedEx Cup standings on Sunday evening qualify for the first event of the play-off series in New Jersey.
The Sedgefield course, designed by famous architect Donald Ross and opened in 1926, underwent a major transformation ahead of its return to the PGA Tour calendar in 2008.
For a number of decades through to the mid-1970s, Sedgefield hosted the Greater Greensboro Open before taking a break from top level golf for 32 years.
Sedgefield, considered one of North Carolina's finest venues, puts an emphasis on accuracy from the tee, although its greens - with their undulations and subtle slopes - are certainly no pushover.
The smallish putting surfaces also changed texture from Bentgrass to Bermuda ahead of the 2012 tournament.
The leading contenders
Brandt Snedeker (14/1): It was a disappointing week for Snedeker at the USPGA and a closing 76 saw him slump down to tied 66th at the finish. However just two starts earlier he won the Canadian Open in impressive style (his second win of 2013) while he has some decent form here. He's been in the field every year since Sedgefield made its return to the Tour and in that time he's had a fifth in 2009 and an eighth in 2010. Best rounds - a 63, a 64 and two 65s.
Webb Simpson (14/1): This was the scene of Simpson's first ever win on Tour in 2011 and since then he's become a major winner (2012 US Open). Simpson was also eighth in this event in 2010 (66-64-71-63) while he opened 66-63 last year to sit second at halfway for the second year in a row before fading to tied 22nd. At Oak Hill last week he flirted with the all-time low score in majors history, a 62, but couldn't back up his eventual 64 and finished tied 25th. Yet to win this season.
Zach Johnson (15/1): Johnson continued his excellent run of form with an eighth place in the US PGA. That made it four top 10 finishes on the spin after a fourth at Firestone, a sixth in The Open at Muirfield and a runners-up finish in the John Deere Classic. This is only his third start at Sedgefield and it takes a bit of a flick through the record books to find the other two. He missed the cut way back in 2000 when this event was known as the Greensboro Open while he was tied 26th in 2008. Encouragingly, he opened with a 66 and closed with a 64 on that occasion.
Bill Haas (18/1): Yet again in a major, Haas couldn't get out of second gear and hovered between 10th and 20th for virtually the whole event before finishing tied 25th. But back in a standard PGA Tour event like this he has to be respected having been in fine form for the last few months, the highlight a victory in the AT&T National. In five starts in this event he's made the top 10 in 2009 (he was the first round leader after an opening 62 before finishing 10th) and 2012 (finished seventh).
Sergio Garcia (18/1): After opening 68-68 at Oak Hill, Sergio cut a rather sorry figure on the weekend as he carded 75-76 to ensure another year with no major on his CV. If he can shake off that disappointment, the Spaniard must have a huge shout here as he loves the course. He was third here in a Web.com event in 1998, fourth in this event in 2009 after a pair of 64s in the middle rounds and champion last year after carding 67-63-66-66. Recent form of 21st (Open), 40th (Firestone) and 61st (Oak Hill) doesn't look good but he won this event off the back of a missed cut in last year's US PGA although, this year, he doesn't have the pull of trying to qualify for the Ryder Cup.
Martin Kaymer (25/1): The German played some good golf for three rounds at Oak Hill (two 68s to start and a closing 69) but lost his way on Saturday when firing an eight-over 78. That left him down in 33rd. Previously he was ninth at Firestone so there are some good signs. Kaymer says it's "just a matter of time before everything falls together" but can he do it here on a course where he has no previous experience.
SELECTED PLAYERS with GOOD to REASONABLE FORM at SEDGEFIELD
Full Tour History
Player: '08 / '09 / '10 / '11 / '12
Arjun Atwal: - / MC / Won / MC / 66
Jason Bohn: - / 2 / - / 12 / MC
Jonathan Byrd: - / 24 / 34 / - / -
Tim Clark: 6 / Wd / - / - / 2
Tommy Gainey: MC / MC* / - / 3 / 50
Sergio Garcia: - / 4 / - / - / Won
Lucas Glover: 20 / 24 / 7 / 30 / Wd
Bill Haas: MC / 10 / 28 / MC / 7
JJ Henry: 4 / MC* / 34 / MC / -
Charles Howell: - / 13 / - / 4 / 31
Jerry Kelly: 9 / - / 34 / 4 / 50
Justin Leonard: - / - / 3 / 17 / 19
Michael Letzig: 9 / Wd / 18 / MC / -
Davis Love: 60 / MC* / MC / 12 / 10
George McNeill: 36 / MC / MC / 2 / MC
Rod Pampling: - / 44 / MC / 30 / 28
Tim Petrovic: MC / 24 / 12 / 17 / -
Carl Pettersson: Won / 67 / MC / 4 / 4
Chez Reavie: - / 10 / - / 9 / 58
John Rollins: MC / - / 3 / 25 / MC
Webb Simpson: - / MC / 8 / Won / 22
Vijay Singh: MC / - / - / 4 / -
Heath Slocum: - / MC / - / 17 / 31
Brandt Snedeker: 69 / 5 / 8 / MC / 28
Kevin Stadler: MC / 2 / MC / 40 / 46
Josh Teater: - / - / 18 / 25 / 37
David Toms: 41 / 24 / 2 / 17 / MC
MC* - Missed Additional 54-Hole Cut
SELECTED PLAYERS with POOR to MEDIOCRE FORM at SEDGEFIELD
Full Tour History
(No Top-40 Finishes from three or more starts)
Player: '08 / '09 / '10 / '11 / '12
Michael Bradley: MC / MC / MC / MC / MC
Kevin Chappell: MC / - / - / MC / Wd
Chris DiMarco: MC / MC / 71 / MC / MC
Matt Jones: MC / 69 / - / MC / MC
Colt Knost: - / MC / - / MC / MC
Tag Ridings: MC / MC / - / MC / -
Chris Stroud: MC / MC / MC / MC / 73
Bill Lunde: - / MC / - / 40 / MC
Billy Mayfair: 78 / 70 / MC / MC / 64
DJ Trahan: - / 54 / 41 / MC / MC
TOP-25 Finishers at SEDGEFIELD in 2012 (Not Already Listed Above)
Bud Cauley: (3rd)
Chad Campbell: (T-4th)
Jimmy Walker: (T-4th)
Nicolas Colsaerts: (T-7th)
Troy Matteson: (T-10th)
Brendon de Jonge: (T-14th)
Matt Every: (T-14th)
Richard H Lee: (T-14th)
Scott Stallings: (T-14th)
Bobby Gates: (T-19th)
John Huh: (T-19th)
Trevor Immelman: (T-22nd)
Chris Kirk: (T-22nd)
LOWEST 20 STROKE AVERAGES at SEDGEFIELD
(Last Four Years - 2009/12)
Average (Rounds)
65.88: Sergio Garcia (8)
66.83: Justin Leonard (12)
67.07: Bill Haas (14)
67.14: Webb Simpson (14)
67.17: Tim Petrovic (12)
67.30: Tom Gillis (10)
67.36: Lucas Glover (14)
67.38: Jonathan Byrd (8)
67.40: John Rollins (10)
67.42: Charles Howell (12)
67.50: Jason Bohn (10)
67.50: Chad Campbell (8)
67.50: Bud Cauley (8)
67.58: Jerry Kelly (12)
67.58: Josh Teater (12)
67.71: Brandt Snedeker (14)
67.75: Chez Reavie (12)
67.75: Mark Wilson (8)
67.79: David Toms (14)
67.86: Carl Pettersson (14)
Min. No. of Rounds = 8
LOWEST ROUNDS at SEDGEFIELD
61: Carl Pettersson (2008)
61: Arjun Atwal (2010)
61: Kevin Na (2010)
61: Tim Herron (2012)
62: 10 times
63: 23 times
Note: Former Wyndham champion Carl Pettersson has scored a 61, 62 & 63 at Sedgefield. The Swede's 18 rounds at the course - since the tournament began in 2008 - average 67.17. Meanwhile, Scott McCarron's 16 rounds produce an even lower average of 66.56.
Sedgefield: Par 70; 7,130 yards
Winning Totals (Last Three Years):
2012: 262 (Sergio Garcia)
2011: 262 (Webb Simpson)
2010: 260 (Arjun Atwal)
Conclusion
The week after The Open Championship in Muirfield, a few of the leading lights headed over to Canada and pretty much cleaned up with Brandt Snedeker taking the title and Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar sharing second.
And, one week on from the US PGA, it could be a similar scenario here.
So, once again, let's turn to the head of the market and put faith in Zach Johnson and Webb Simpson.
Johnson looks to be on the verge of a win and this looks a track which should play to his strengths so take him at 15/1.
Simpson is another knocking on the door for a first win of 2013 and, like Johnson, is dropping plenty of hints.
The 2012 US Open champ is due so go for the jugular with a win only punt.
For an outsider, try Carl Pettersson at 60/1.
As the above stats show, the big Swede loves to go low on this course and those birdie blitzes have helped him post a win (2008) and fourth places in each of the last two years.
His current form is poor but, clearly, this is the place where he comes alive.
Best bets
2.5pts e.w. Zach Johnson at 15/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
3pts win Webb Simpson at 14/1
1pt e.w. Carl Pettersson at 60/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
