A preview, stats and best bets for this week's PGA Tour event - the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.
A preview and stats for this week's PGA Tour event - the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia
The PGA Tour travels 250 miles south-west from last week's event in Maryland to contest the fourth staging of The Greenbrier Classic at White Sulphur Springs.
Designed by Charles Blair Macdonald and opened 99 years ago, The Old White is situated close to the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia.
This lush, rural location was once the home of seven-time Major winner Sam Snead whose name has always been synonymous with The Greenbrier Club.
The tree-covered layout has generous fairways and large undulating greens and, during the inaugural Greenbrier Classic of 2010, yielded a final round 59 to tournament winner Stuart Appleby (-22).
The course has been toughened up since then although Ted Potter Jr triumphed last year after a pair of weekend 64s.
SELECTED PLAYERS with GOOD to REASONABLE FORM at THE GREENBRIER
Tour History
Player: '10 / '11 / '12
Stuart Appleby: Won / MC / MC
Matt Bettencourt: 16 / 27 / MC
Jonathan Byrd: 21 / MC / 22
Brendon de Jonge: 3 / 4 / 52
Bob Estes: 21 / 2 / 38
Bill Haas: - / 2 / 33
David Hearn: - / 18 / 12
Charles Howell: 9 / 32 / MC
Michael Letzig: 21 / 32 / -
Jeff Overton: 2 / 49 / 17
Pat Perez: 9 / - / 27
Carl Pettersson: 51 / 18 / 17
Scott Piercy: 16 / MC / 12
DA Points: 4 / 49 / 46
Andres Romero: - / 4 / MC
John Senden: 21 / 14 / -
Webb Simpson: MC / 9 / 7
Scott Stallings: - / Won / 56
Kyle Stanley: - / 9 / -
Cameron Tringale: MC / 4 / 56
Jimmy Walker: 4 / 4 / MC
SELECTED PLAYERS with POOR to MEDIOCRE FORM at THE GREENBRIER
Tour History
(No Top-50 Finishes from Two or more starts)
Player: '10 / '11 / '12
Michael Bradley: 71 / MC / -
Greg Chalmers: 51 / MC / MC
Erik Compton: 73 / 73 / MC
Tommy Gainey: - / 57 / 72
Bobby Gates: - / MC / MC
Brian Gay: MC / MC / MC
Nathan Green: - / MC / MC
Matt Jones: MC / MC / MC
Colt Knost: - / MC / MC
David Mathis: - / MC / MC
William McGirt: - / MC / MC
George McNeill: MC / MC / -
Phil Mickelson: - / MC / MC
Greg Owen: MC / - / MC
Vaughn Taylor: - / MC / MC
DJ Trahan: MC / MC / 56
Tom Watson: - / MC / 73
TOP-20 Finishers at THE GREENBRIER in 2012 (Not Already Listed Above)
Ted Potter: (Won)
Charlie Beljan: (T-3rd)
Charlie Wi: (T-3rd)
Daniel Summerhays: (5th)
Martin Flores: (6th)
Roberto Castro: (T-7th)
Ken Duke: (T-7th)
Sean O'Hair: (T-7th)
John Daly: (T-12th)
Graham DeLaet: (T-12th)
Davis Love: (T-17th)
LOWEST 12 STROKE AVERAGES at THE GREENBRIER
(Tour History)
Average (Rounds)
67.25: Charlie Wi (8)
67.38: Pat Perez (8)
67.50: Graham DeLaet (8)
67.50: Jeff Overton (12)
67.58: Brendon de Jonge (12)
67.75: Bob Estes (12)
67.75: John Senden (8)
67.83: Martin Flores (6)
67.90: Jimmy Walker (10)
68.00: Stephen Ames (6)
68.00: Stuart Appleby (8)
68.00: Bill Haas (8)
Min. No. of Rounds = 6
LOWEST ROUNDS at THE OLD WHITE
59: Stuart Appleby (2010)
60: JB Holmes (2010)
61: DA Points (2010)
62: Five times
63: 12 times
Note: Since the tournament began three years ago, there have been 20 instances of players carding scores of 63 or lower - 14 (2010); 2 (2011) & 4 (2012).
The Greenbrier (Old White): Par 70; 7,287 yards
Winning Totals (Last Three Years):
2012: 264 (Ted Potter)
2011: 270 (Scott Stallings)
2010: 258 (Stuart Appleby)
Conclusion:
Although it's an old course, in PGA Tour terms the Old White is very new and that means the veteran pros don't have their usual advantage.
The effect of this has been to level the playing field and that may explain why two rookies in Ted Potter and Scott Stallings have won the last two runnings.
So, if that continues this week the one who could come through is Morgan Hoffman.
The 23-year-old goes into the event in excellent form after back-to-back top 10s - Travelers Championship and AT&T National - and has a record of holding his form when he hits his straps.
In 2012 he followed an impressive 29th in the US Open with 4th and 9th on the Web.com Tour while later that year he put together a run of 6-2-9-6.
As he's gone 9-8 in the last two weeks, let's get him while he's hot.
Jordan Spieth and Roberto Castro are other hugely talented youngsters with good credentials but at 40/1 they're no real value.
But, at the same price, Scott Piercy probably is.
The American is a two-time PGA Tour winner, he was playing well (5-26-16) before missing the cut in the US Open and in three visits to this course he's managed a 12th and a 16th.
Best bets:
1.5pts e.w. Morgan Hoffman at 66/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5)
1.5pts e.w. Scott Piercy at 40/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4,5,)
