Monday, April 27, 2009

Quail Hollow Championship - Minor Major?


How's this for a field? Cabrera, Harrington, Kim, Mickelson, Ogilvy, Scott, Furyk, Garcia, V. Singh, Villegas, Woods. The best field this side of that sleepy town in Georgia. Anthony Kim defends at the Quail Hollow Championship, appropriately held at Quail Hollow. Wachovia must regret having to let go of this one as the field and the golf course have made it a "be there or be square" event that pushes the "other than the majors" stops on the Tour. If you question the upcoming Players Championship due to the restrictive venue, then this one's for you. TPC Sawgrass could generously be described as quirky, whereas Quail Hollow, ten year home to the Kemper Open, has flourished after a Fazio tweaking in 2003. The fact that Woods and Mickelson continue to show up regardless of title sponsor speaks volumes about the layout.

Will post- surgery Woods regain his form? Will Mickelson continue his spray and play policy? Does Cabrera have the consistency to continue on a post Augusta roll? Will any of the B+ players have the cajones to step up and snag one from the big boys? Stay tuned and find out at the first "must see" tournament since the Masters.




Til' next,

2 comments:

  1. It sure is a fantastic field! This tournament, I feel, should set the tone for the rest of the season. Undoubtedly the most high profile tournament since the Masters, I have a sneaky feeling that this one would give us a fair idea of how the rest of the year pans out for some of the big names.

    I really don’t think Cabrera stands a chance in this tournament. Well, he might be in contention but I think it would be safe to rule out a win for him. I think Dan Jenkins made it amply clear in his column for Golf Digest when he said, “Cabrera- The man who can only win majors.” It is a very important tournament for Tiger Woods as he needs to earn back some brownie points after the heat on him after his moody demeanor towards the end of the Masters.

    As for the comparison between Quail Hollow and TPC Sawgrass, I think TPC Sawgrass has its own charm and I would rate it as a slightly better course than this one. But when we are talking tournaments in early season, this one has got to be a favourite.

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  2. I suppose it's the quirkiness of Sawgrass' 17th that bothers me. I like the hole, but don't enjoy it being used in a playoff, ala last year. I suppose you can't have one without the other.

    Looks like there's not much wrong with Woods' knee after today.

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