Web.com Tour Championship

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So the Web.com Tour has reached its conclusion and we find ourselves at the Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch where the top 60 players on the money list compete for 25 PGA Tour cards. This is the second time that Craig Ranch, Texas has hosted the junior tour Championship, with the last outing here being in 2008 where Matt Bettencourt posted -17 to take home the $180,000 cheque and a place on the 2009 PGA Tour.

TPC Craig Ranch was designed by Tom Weiskopf (creator of the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale used on the PGA for the Phoenix Open) and is a par 72, 7438 yard course with rolling hills and mature woods surrounding the banks of Rowlett Creek. Lush fairways and bentgrass greens are surrounded or crossed 14 times by the Creek, placing a premium on accuracy as does the tree lined fairway. Many of the holes on the front nine again highlight the need for accuracy, an example being the par 4 sixth hole which, although measuring only 361 yards, features eleven well placed bunkers and a small green completely surrounded by four bunkers. However, the last nine holes of the course seem to not only place a premium on accuracy but play into the hands of the longer man off the tee with five long par 4s and a monster 552 yard 18th hole. In conclusion, this week I will be looking for a long, accurate driver who hits plenty of greens in regulation and who is able to scramble well should he hit the odd wayward drive on a tight fairway.

My picks are as follows.

Darron Stiles - Stiles looks like the full package for here to me, he ranks 5th in driving accuracy, 20th in GIR, 2nd in scrambling and 47th in total driving. Rather worryingly he hasn't made a cut since he won the News Sentinel Open back at the end of August and this is is reflected in his price. However, what also appeals to me on top of his stats is the fact that he has course form here at Craig Ranch, finishing 11th with a round of 64 thrown into the mix. One final thing to note is that Stiles seems to fare well here in Texas, with four out of five appearances at the WNB Classic yielding a top 10 finish. 1pt e/w @ 100/1 Various 

Ben Kohles - A back to back winner on the tour this year, his first win coming on his debut at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational, Kohles has had a whirlwind first year. The fact that he hasnt played enough tournaments on the Web.com tour to official rank his stats highlights the remarkable achievement of the youngster to make the Tour Championship. Looking at his last two outings on the tour (Jacksonville Open and Neediest Kids Championship) he ranked top 5 in driving accuracy and 10th in GIR (in Florida). He seems to average around 280/290 yards off the tee so has more than adequate length for here and in his one appearance on the PGA at the Wyndham, he ranked 1st in DA, 25th in GIR and 25th in birdie average. One final thing to note is the fact that Kohles was born in Texas and will have strong home support. 1.5pts e/w @ 33/1 Sporting Bet

Total Staked - 5pts