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A first elite winner on the PGA Tour last week after resumption, but this week’s field sees a drop in depth and standard as many of the world’s stars take a week or two off ahead of the bigger events in late July and August. The tournament was inaugurated last season and witnessed a dramatic win for Monday qualifier Nate Lashley whose 63-67 gave him a one-shot halfway lead, a Saturday 63 opened up a six-shot advantage and a Sunday 70 maintained the distance between himself and the field. With Doc Redman and Joaquin Niemann chasing him home there was an element of youthful dash about the event in Motor City Detroit, but with Patrick Reed, Brandt Snedeker and Rory Sabbatini in the top five there was also plenty of veteran savvy. The course is a 7,334 yard par-72 with bent grass greens that was designed by Donald Ross (also responsible for regular Tour stops Sedgefield and East Lake). “I like to play old-style courses,” Luke Donald said ahead of teeing it up last year. “It’s certainly one of the main reasons I wanted to come here. They’re not generally as long, they take a little bit more thought, a little more course management. It plays into kind of more of my strengths.” Dustin Johnson added: “Off the tee it's not too difficult, but where it plays difficult is going to be on the greens. It's a lot of slope, a lot of different locations on the green. It's all little quadrants and you want to be in the right quadrant.” And Chez Reavie backed that up: “The greens are tough, the pin placements will be really challenging because there's a lot of slope in the greens and you have to make sure you keep the ball below the hole.” Winner Lashley said after needing just 23 putts in his first round: “I got it under the hole on most holes and had a lot of uphill putts with not a lot of break, so I was able to knock those in.”
Angles to consider 1/ SG: Tee to Green Just the one year to peer at the stats, but all of the top four finishers (T3 or better) ranked 14th in this category. 2/ Par 4 Performance It’s a par-72, but the top four scored best on these holes, all ranking top ten. 3/ Putts per Round Far from the most reliable of categories, but we’ll keep it in mind. One way or another, whether from excellent approach play, good scrambling, a hot putter or a combination of all three, the top four were all ranked ninth or better (and 16th or better for Putt Average). 3/ Donald Ross designs Reed and Snedeker, who were T5, are past winners at Sedgefield, as is JT Poston who was T11 here last year. Ben An, who was T13, has been a 54-hole leader at Sedgefield. Snedeker has also won at East Lake and a specialist at that course, Billy Horschel, closed with a 64 for T13 last year.
Selections The above angles have been used to create a shortlist from which the following players are selected. Brandt Snedeker He ranks third in the field for Par 4s, is a noted putter (12th for PPR) and whilst his SG: T2G stats don’t impress (117th this season), he’s proved himself once on the course and he’s a fan of Ross (those wins at East Lake and Sedgefield). His T41st last week was far from shabby, with a 66 and 67 in there. Erik Van Rooyen His stats look solid: sixth for Par 4s, first for the year in PPR (ninth in the field for Putting Average), 30th for the year in SG: T2G and he was last seen playing nicely for T21 at Harbour Town. He has a superb record at Royal Dar in Morocco, twice leading in the final round (T7th and 2nd). Visually, at least, there’s something similar about Detroit. Webb Simpson Can’t leave the Sedgefield specialist out of the equation. He’s won there, in 2011, and not been out the top three in the last three years. Throw in three top fives at East Lake, good stats (first for Par 4s, ninth for PPR, 13th for SG: T2G) and two wins in the calendar year.
Tips: 0-3; -6.00pts 1pt e.w. Brandt Snedeker at 50/1 (Skybet, William Hill, 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) mc 1pt e.w. Erik Van Rooyen at 66/1 (William Hill 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) mc 2pt win Webb Simpson at 12/1 (Bet365, William Hill, Betfred) 8th
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