McGladrey Classic Preview

The PGA Tour’s Fall Series continues this week with a new tournament in the shape of the McGladrey Classic. Davis Love III is the tournament host at Sea Island in Georgia.

Davis Love III is tournament host
Fergus Bisset
By Fergus Bisset
published

Lowdown: The PGA Tour's Fall Series continues this week with a new tournament in the shape of the McGladrey Classic. Davis Love III is the tournament host at Sea Island in Georgia. After their narrow defeat in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar will tee it up in Georgia as will Corey Pavin's vice captain Davis Love III. The Sea Island native will host this tournament. There are 10 Major winners in the field including Justin Leonard, Lucas Glover and Lee Janzen. The UK will be represented by Brian Davis and Greg Owen. The Seaside course at Sea Island is a classic Harry Colt and Charles Alison design dating from 1929. Tom Fazio completed a renovation in 1999. It's the first time the course has been used on the PGA Tour but it's been the venue for some significant amateur competitions over the years including the US Senior Amateur an the US Senior Women's Amateur. It's a course where the wind can have a big impact on the test. However, the forecast for this week looks set calm so the ocean breeze might not have such a part to play. Venue: Seasisde Course, Sea Island, Georgia Date: Oct 7-10 Course stats: par 70, 7,055 yards Purse: $4,000,000 Defending Champion: Inaugural tournament

TV Coverage: Thursday 7 - Live on Sky Sports 3 from 8.30pm Friday 8 - Live on Sky Sports 3 from 8pm Saturday 9 - Live on Sky Sports 3 from 8pm Sunday 10 - Live on Sky Sports 3 from 8pm

Player Watch: Robert Allenby - The consistent Australian is one of the top ranked players in the field. He's one of just four on the start sheet who competed in the Tour Championship. He's a superb ball striker and, if he can get some putts to drop, will be tough to beat.

John Senden - Another Australian who is coming on to some form. In fact, he's had three top-15 finishes in his last four starts.

Jonathan Byrd - He finished tied fifth last week but, more importantly, this is his home course. He should be able to turn local knowledge to his advantage.

Skills required: Ball striking. It's a par 70 so the key to scoring well is hitting the greens on the par 4s.

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly. 

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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