Mercedes Championship Preview

An early start for the PGA Tour in 2007 sees last year's winners travel to Hawaii for the Mercedes-Benz Championship where the first FedEx Cup points are available.

TOURNAMENT: Mercedes-Benz Championship

HOST COURSE: Plantation Course at Kapalua, Hawaii

PRIZE FUND: $5,500,000

COURSE DETAILS: par 73 7,263 yards. The Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore-designed Plantation Course plays a great deal shorter than its yardage and the sloping fairways are known to aid some mammoth hitting.

After months of hype the FedEx Cup gets underway with the Mercedes-Benz Championship. Stuart Appleby (pictured) will look to continue his phenomenal form at the event as he attempts to take the title for the fourth consecutive year. The tournament only includes winners from 2006, leaving a relatively small 32-man field competing for the $5,500,000 purse, including 13 debutants. Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the event, leaving world number two Jim Furyk as favourite.

CONTENDERS: Jim Furyk, Adam Scott, Luke Donald

BETTING GUIDE: For a betting tips from our betting expert Paul Krishnamurty click here

Paul joined Golf Monthly in 2006 in a junior role and has since worked as senior staff writer and now as technical editor. He writes equipment and instruction content and tests the vast majority of golf clubs that are introduced every year.