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The second of the FedEx Cup Play-Offs heads to Chicago and Olympia Fields Country Club – specifically the North Course there. The track hosted the 2003 U.S. Open which was won by Jim Furyk, a week in which Stephen Leaney was second with Kenny Perry and Mike Weir in third, whilst Nick Price contended. A course for plotters maybe – fellows with the ability to find lots of fairways and greens? Twelve years later it also hosted the U.S. Amateur and the golfing world had moved on. U.S. Opens reflected that with bombers launching the ball, happier to hit short irons from the rough than long irons from well back. To some degree that was reflected in the 2015 Amateur. Bryson DeChambeau prevailed (and in some style because he only played the 17th and 18th holes in the matchplay section during the first 18 holes of his 36 hole final – in every other round he had polished off the opposition by that point). Of course DeChambeau was not the enormous hitter then that he is now, but he was no tapper of the tee shot, nor was or is Sean Crocker who he beat in the semi-final. The course is a par-70 with bent/poa greens and of traditional design (Willie Park Jr) which immediately makes you think of the recent PGA Championship at Harding Park. Whilst the yardage is a touch more, at 7,366 yards, San Francisco was cold and the players said that impacted on the distances they were hitting. Sam MacKenzie, club director of grounds, has said: “The putting greens will defend this golf course. These players can just hit it out of sight and so forth like that. So the emphasis on the greens, which has always been a strong point of any golf course, will have to take on an even greater proportion than before.” So we’ve got one tournament that hints at plotters, one that suggests a more modern take on the long game and a local who says the putting will dictate!
Angles to consider 1/ Harding Park There’s a lot to like about that week as a form guide – the style of course, the grass on the greens, the yardages being played, the fact both are major championship-standard in quality of test. 2/ Finding the putting surfaces In 2003 Furyk led the field for Greens in Regulation and Perry ranked third. Leaney was 15th and whilst Weir struggled in that regard he was first for Scrambling (that suggests two things – his short game was on, but also that he maybe wasn’t missing the putting surface by much on the whole). DeChambeau and Crocker are big-hitters, but they also find plenty of greens. 3/ SG: Tee to Green Furyk at his best in recent years was 2010 with three wins and he ranked fourth in his category that season. DeChambeau racked up four wins in 2018, his peak, and he was 11th for T2G that year. At their best the two winners at Olympia Fields do this well.
Selections The above angles have been used to create a shortlist from which the following players are selected. Xander Schauffele The 26-year-old ranks fifth for Strokes Gained Tee to Green, sixth for Greens in Regulation and he was tenth at Harding Park. Last week he was T25th at the Northern Trust, a 16th top 25 in is last 18 PGA Tour starts. His base level is very strong and he doesn’t need much to be contending again. Paul Casey A very fine second in the PGA Championship and the numbers fit: 22nd for SG:T2G and 11th for Greens in Regulation. The traditional nature of the design should suit. Willie Park Jr was also responsible for many of the tracks Casey will have played as an amateur in the UK and at home Surrey – Sunningdale Old is his best known design for example. Russell Henley Superb stats (14th for SG: T2G and third for Greens in Regulation) and was a steady T37th at Harding Park. Since then he has added ninth at the Wyndham and eighth last week, crucially logging his best putting stats since lockdown.
Tips:
0-3; -6.00pts 1.5pt e.w. Xander Schauffele at 18/1 (BetVictor 1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
25th 1pt e.w. Paul Casey at 50/1 (Skybet, BF Sportsbook, PaddyPower, Betfred, Boylesport 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
16th 0.5pt e.w. Russell Henley at 70/1 (Betfred 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
25th
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