Tour Report: Daly gets a leg up on flying the flag (PGATOUR.com)
John Daly, like many pro golfers, travels all around the world to play in tournaments. In the last eight months alone, he’s played in events in at least 10 different countries. Last week in finishing tied for ninth at the RBC Canadian Open, Daly played for the third consecutive week in three different countries (having missed the cut at the John Deere Classic and the British Open in the previous two weeks). Now he’s back on American soil at this week’s The Greenbrier Classic, where he will play the first two rounds with Sergio Garcia and Davis Love III in one of the notable groups at the Old White TPC course. Daly doesn’t mind flashing a bit of patriotism in his attire. Here’s a look at some of his recent flag-inspired golf pants (all photos from Getty Images). List of changes to Old White TPC The Old White TPC course has undergone extensive restorations since last year’s Greenbrier Classic. Minor contour modifications and/or shape adjustments were made to nine greens, and all greens were resurfaced to remove organic growth and were seeded with Tyee creeping bentgrass. Fairway line adjustments occurred on 11 holes. Bunkers were repositioned or added on three holes. Tees were extended, added and/or repositioned on eight holes, with the course now playing 200 yards longer than last year. The result of all these changes? “This course is much, much, much tougher,” said Jim Justice, owner of The Greenbrier Resort. Although the greens are young, tournament officials said the grass has filled in nicely and should provide smooth, firm putting surfaces for the tournament. The course was kept closed until the tournament to allow the grass to mature as much as possible without traffic stress. Here’s a hole-by-hole look at the changes: No. 1 — Right side of fairway narrowed by 4 yards No. 2 — New tee and modified greens contours in back of green No. 4 — Repositioned green back and left 31 yards;, repositioned fairway bunkers, and adjusted fairway lines No. 5 — Repositioned tee complex back and left 44 yards, hole now plays 388 yards; removed left fairway bunker; reduced size of right fairway bunker; modified fairway lines No. 6 — Changed shape of green and modified contours; narrowed left side of fairway by 8 yards No. 7 — New tee box, hole is 25 yards longer; modified contours to front and back of green; narrowed left side of fairway No. 8 — Extended back tee 15 yards No. 9 — Added left fairway bunker No. 10 — Changed shape and modified contours to back of green; added left front greenside bunker; narrowed right side of fairway by 4 yards No. 11 — Extended back tee 16 yards No. 12 — Left side of fairway narrowed by 4 yards No. 13 — Extended back tee 16 yards; narrowed right side of fairway by 8 yards No. 14 — Modified contours in front of green No. 16 — Expanded lake and narrowed fairway No. 17 — New back tee No. 18 — Softened top of ridge on left center of green Snedeker withdraws from Greenbrier Brandt Snedeker, winner of The Heritage earlier this year, has withdrawn from this week’s field at The Greenbrier Classic. Frank Lickliter II has taken his place in the field, and will be in the group with Joe Durant and Carl Paulson. Snedeker’s last event was the British Open, where he missed the cut. Last year at the inaugural Greenbrier Classic, Snedeker finished tied for 16th. PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks has been updated to reflect the Snedeker WD. Greenbrier owner wants Presidents Cup Jim Justice, the owner of The Greenbrier Resort, had a conversation Tuesday morning with Andy Pazder, the PGA TOUR’s Executive Vice President and Chief of Operations. One of the topics? The 2017 Presidents Cup — and where it will be held. Other than the fact that it will be the United States’ turn to host the event, the specific site has yet to be determined. But Justice has made no secret of the fact that he would like to have it at his resort in West Virginia. Jim Justice “We asked as far as where they stand with the 2017 Presidents Cup,” Justice said Tuesday afternoon, “and they have not done any work on it thus far. But I continue to put ourselves in front of them, and they really, really like what we have done with the course.” In April, Justice said he met with PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem during Masters week to discuss the upgrades to the course. Justice also said one of his marketing strategies is to attract players who have Presidents Cup experience. Defending champion Stuart Appleby of Australia has played on five International teams. The Greenbrier Resort has a history of hosting team events. In 1979, it hosted the first Ryder Cup contested under the current format in which the United States played a team from Europe (instead of the previous Great Britain-Ireland team). In 1994, The Greenbrier hosted the Solheim Cup, the women’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup. This year’s Presidents Cup will be played at Royal Melbourne in Australia in November. In 2013, Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, will be the venue. In 2015, the International team will be the home team at a site not yet announced. Then it’s back to the U.S. in 2017. This week’s Greenbrier Classic will be played at the Old White TPC, which has undergone significant course changes from last year. Justice said he has received favorable early reviews from the players, even though the course is expected to be tougher than last year. “Everything I’m hearing is phenomenal,” Justice said. “You know, yesterday, John Daly is walking along and looking at the fairways and he’s saying, ‘I don’t know that I’ve ever played on a place that had fairways like this.’ And he said, ‘This looks like Augusta.’ ” Well, the Masters isn’t going anywhere. But there’s no doubt Justice wants The Presidents Cup. Watson on Phil, amateurs, 59s and more Franklin/Getty Images Tom Watson is back in the U.S. after playing the British and Senior British Opens. Hall of Famer Tom Watson touched on a variety of topics during his Tuesday news conference. The 61-year-old Watson, the pro emeritus at The Greenbrier Resort, is playing The Greenbrier Classic this week instead of the U.S. Senior Open: ON HIS DECISION TO PLAY AT GREENBRIER INSTEAD OF THE U.S. SENIOR OPEN: “There wasn’t any question whether I was going to play this year — I felt bad about not playing here the first year (when he played the 2010 U.S. Senior Open). … I felt like I let Jim (Justice, Greenbrier owner) down. And when he called to ask me if I would play, I said, ‘You got it, Jim.’ I said ‘I was intending on playing anyway, probably before I called you.’ ” ON WHETHER ANY PLAYER WILL MATCH STUART APPLEBY’S 59 FROM LAST YEAR: “There’s not going to be any 59s shot. … About a month ago, I went out and saw the greens, and the greens are a lot firmer. They are like this (knocking on wood table). The ball is not going to stop. It’s going to take a lot of skill to get the ball close to the flag positions on these greens. It’s like playing the links greens where they really are hard and they release. The ball really releases, with every club in your bag.” ON THE RECENT SUCCESS OF AMATEURS: “The amateurs of today are pros. They are not amateurs. They are pros. They play a lot of competition, and they have the trainers like the pros do. They have the coaches like the pros do. They have the video equipment like the pros do. What do you call them, AINOs, amateur in name only, I guess.” ON PLAYING WITH PHIL MICKELSON FOR THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS: “I’ve never played with Phil before in a regular tournament. He may remember; I don’t remember. He’s a magician, that guy, he’s an absolute magician.” Appleby: Course much tougher in ’11 Chris Condon/PGA TOUR Stuart Appleby’s 59 was one of the iconic moments of the 2010 season. Stuart Appleby returned to Greenbrier sounding like a proud father who’d dropped in to visit on his sons. It has been a year since becoming just the second man ever to shoot 59 on a PGA TOUR Sunday, as well as the first 59 on a par-70 course. His 59 was the fifth overall. By the sound of it, it won’t happen again for awhile. Certainly not at the The Old White TPC, where Appleby reached 22 under in beating Jeff Overton by a shot in 2010. For starters, the course is 200 yards longer. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but the course now stretches to 7,210 yards with the aid of just two par-5s. That alone, Appleby said, it good for adding a few shots to the overall score. He also thinks it swings the advantage back to the longer hitters like Gary Woodland and J.B. Holmes, who are both in the field this week. “This course is absolutely built for them right now,” Appleby said. “The course is very long today. It’s got to be, I think, between I think three and four shots harder than what it was for us Saturday and Sunday last year compared to today. You know, anyone shooting in the mid-teens I think would be a very good score.” While the course is different, Appleby is very much in the same position he was a year ago, when he entered this event in the midst of a four-year PGA TOUR slump. He entered the event with just two top-10s, then proceeded to shoot 65-59 on the weekend for his ninth PGA TOUR win (and first since 2006). In 2011, the results are similar: Just one top-10. “You know, at this time last year, I was also very frustrated,” Appleby said. “So, [you] just got to understand that the game works in weird ways.” One thing’s for sure: He will have a big crowd following him the first two days. He’s slated to play with a couple of guys named Tom Watson and Phil Mickelson. “One [is] a legend of the game and one still becoming a legend of the game,” Appleby said. “And me, sort of stuck [as] the sandwich in the middle.” Pair of par-3 finishes this week Chris Condon/PGA TOUR The 162-yard par-3 18th at Old White TPC The Old White TPC is unique in that it finishes with a 162-yard par-3 — Stuart Appleby made a deuce on the hole not only to win, but to shoot 59 in 2010. But did you know that there are two tournaments this week with a par-5, par-3 finish? That’s because Willow Creek Country Club, site of the Nationwide Tour’s Utah Championship, also has a par-3 finish. The 198-yarder is preceded by a 588-yard par-5. Ironically, the Old White TPC has a par-5 17th as well. Does your home course have a par-3 finish? If so, where? Tell us below. Notable Groups for the Greenbrier Tee times have been released for the first two rounds for The Greenbrier Classic. Here’s a look at some of the notable groups. Be sure to tell us which group you’re interested in following this week. CLICK HERE FOR TEE TIMES FOR FIRST TWO ROUNDS PlayersPhil MickelsonTom WatsonStuart Appleby Tee Times (hole) Round 1: 7:40 a.m. ET (10)Round 2: 12:40 p.m. ET (1) Comment Don’t expect anyone to match Appleby’s 59. The course is 200 yards longer … and a lot tighter. Anthony KimRyan PalmerWebb Simpson Round 1: 7:50 a.m. ET (10)Round 2: 12:50 p.m. ET (1) Palmer needs a big week to make it into the Bridgestone Invitational, where he was second in 2010. Jeff OvertonCameron TringaleMichael Connell Round 1: 12 p.m. ET (1)Round 2: 7 a.m. ET (10) Overton finished a maddening second here in 2010. He’s still without a PGA TOUR win. Gary WoodlandJonathan ByrdBill Haas Round 1: 12:50 p.m. ET (1)Round 2: 7:50 a.m. ET (10) All three are legitimate FedExCup contenders with only four weeks remaining in the regular season.
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