Preview & outright plays:
Formerly known as the Anheuser Busch Golf Classic, this event has been staged at the Kingsmill Golf Club on the banks of the James River in historic colonial Williamsburg since 1981. The event has become associated with David Duval's breakthrough win (1997) and it is no surprise that he heads the market once again. He also leads the tournament money list from Scott Hoch who has the distinction of playing in event 18 times and never missing a cut. Only one player has played every time this event has been staged at Kingsmill: Curtis Strange. He lives on the course and has his own equivalent to Arnie's Army, "Strange's Navy". Enough said!
The River Course at Kingsmill was designed by Pete Dye, and in typical Dye fashion, course management rather than power is key around this course. It features tight, rolling fairways and multi-tiered greens that are well protected by bunkers and water. There are only 3 par-fives and the course, lengthened in 1998, measures only 6,853 yards. Other important features of this course are the grass and the greens. The course is unusual in that it uses two types of grass. Since it is far enough north to escape the intense heat, the greens are the much smoother bentgrass. At the same time, the course is far enough south to allow Bermudagrass on both the tees and fairways. Given that the greens at the Texas Open were Bermudagrass, last players may find it a little difficult to adjust this week.
The outright selections for this event are Jim Furyk, Nick Price and Kevin Sutherland. All three missed last week's event and all three come into the event in good form, but without particularly good course form. It has been a feature of the last three champions - David Toms, Notah Begay and David Duval - that they had particularly bad course form before managing to lift this trophy. Furyk has been in great form in the last two months, securing runners-up spots in the Buick Open and NEC Invitational and having a storming weekend in his last event, the Pennsylvania Classic, to finish 11th. He has improved each year he has played Kingsmill - 19th last year - and with the ideal game for the course, he should improve again.
Price has not played on this course since 1991 when he finished 8th, but while he is not the player of ten years ago, he is still very accurate off the tee and at his best on tight, challenging courses. Two weeks ago at the Pennsylvania Classic, he finished 5th after leading after 18 holes and is in good enough form to secure another top-5 finish, if not secure his first win for two years.
Sutherland's form on this course is the worst of the three: a best of 39th in five starts. But with 66/1 and five places on offer it is hard to ignore the fact that he has finished in the top-5 in both of his last two events, the Air Canada Championship and the Pennsylvania Classic, with the latter finish achieved with an opening 76! Not the best driver on Tour - he ranks 141st in Total Driving - he is a much better player in the important categories for this course: 8th in Greens in Regulation and 22nd in Putting Average. Those are not the stats and finishes of a 66/1 player.
Outright plays:
Jim Furyk to win 16/1 e.w. @
BetInternet or
BetSmart
Nick Price to win 28/1 e.w. @
BetInternet
Kevin Sutherland to win 66/1 e.w. @
BetInternet or
Sporting Odds
