Preview: Wyndham Championship

With a week to go before the FedEx Cup playoffs the race is on to make the top 144 places. The PGA Tour is in Greensboro this week for the Wyndham Championship.

Brandt Snedeker
Fergus Bisset
By Fergus Bisset
published

PGA Tour

Wyndham Championship

Lowdown:

Formerly known as the Greater Greensboro Open, this is the first time the tournament has been contested at Sedgefield Country Club since 1976. The Donald Ross designed layout has witnessed some fabulous tournaments over the years with winners at Sedgefield including Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Bob Charles.

The club began life in 1926 and it's regarded as one of the most prestigious in North Carolina.

With the FedEx Cup playoffs getting underway next week at the Barclays Championship, this is the final week for players to qualify for the big-money series. Look for a rush from players like Davis Love III and Rich Beem who are currently outside the top 144.

Paul Casey will be hoping for a strong finish. He's concentrating his attentions on the US over the next few weeks in his bid to be a part of the European Ryder Cup team for Valhalla. He's decided to make his way into the squad through the world points list by competing in the FedEx Cup playoffs. "I'm FedEx Cup-ing it." He said. "I'm going to play great golf and try to win over here and hopefully make my way in on the world points list." If he doesn't manage that, there's always the chance of a "wild card" pick.

Venue: Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, North Carolina

Course stats: 7,117 yards, par 70

Purse: $5,100,000 Winner: $918,000

Defending Champion: Brandt Snedeker (-22)

TV Coverage:

Thursday 14 - Live on Setanta Golf from 8pm

Friday 15 - Live on Setanta Golf from 8pm

Saturday 16 - Live on Setanta Golf from 8pm

Sunday 17 - Live on Setanta Golf from 8pm

Player Watch:

Paul Casey - The Englishman has never won on the PGA Tour but that could all change this week as he looks to continue the run of form that saw him record top tens at the Open and the Bridgestone Invitational and a tie for 15th at the USPGA.

Brandt Snedeker - Last year's winner will be hoping to catch the eye of Paul Azinger over the next few weeks in order to secure one of his four Ryder Cup "wild card" picks.

Vijay Singh - After a poor showing at the USPGA, Singh will be keen to get back on track. Unusually for Singh, this is an event he's never won and he'd love to add it to his CV.

Key Hole: 18th. A par four of 507 yards this is a brute of a finishing hole. The approach shot will be played uphill off a downhill lie and the four bunkers protecting the green merely add to the difficulty.

Skills Required: Strong hitting - There's only one par four on the layout that measures under 400 yards and with two par threes over 220 yards, the winner will produce some solid ball-striking through the week.

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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