Shotgun Start: Previewing the Wyndham Championship
It's tournament time! The PGA Tour heads to Sedgefield Country Club, located in Greensboro, N.C., for the final event of the regular season. Here's a tournament primer to get you prepared for the week.
The course: Sedgefield Country Club will once again be the site of the PGA Tour's "Last Chance Saloon," as players try to conjure up some magic in an effort to make the FedEx Cup playoffs.
If past history is any indicator, you'll need to go on a birdie binge this week if you want to contend at Sedgefield. Over the last four years it's ranked as the easiest, or second-easiest, par 70 layout on the schedule. The old Bentgrass greens have been replaced with Champion Bermuda and that could alter scoring a bit this week, but don't expect the Wyndham to turn into the U.S. Open.
Just 7,130 yards, players will have no trouble getting around the layout. The key, of course, is hitting fairways and firing at flags. The course only has two par 5s -- Nos. 5 and 15 -- and they'll both likely be two-shotters for most of the players in the field at 529 yards and 547 yards.
The par-4 18th is historically the most difficult hole on the course. At 507 yards, players averaged 4.274 strokes last season and 4.239 over the last three years. Players who find the fairway will likely have to deal with a downhill lie to an uphill green, which could be awkward. Four bunkers are ready and willing to gobble up your ball if your approach shot is off the mark.
The schedule: The tournament runs Thursday-Sunday. It'll be broadcast on the Golf Channel from 3 to 6 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday; and on CBS from 3 to 6 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
The field: The Wyndham has a respectable field considering it follows the PGA Championship and precedes the first event of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Webb Simpson and Jason Dufner are the only members of the Official World Golf Ranking top-10 in the field this week. They'll be joined by a number of notable names, including John Daly, Sergio Garcia, Carl Pettersson, Ryo Ishikawa, Jason Day, Y.E. Yang, David Toms and Brandt Snedeker.
The video: Check out some of the memorable moments from the Wyndham Championship's history.
Your turn. Who are your picks for this week? Swing away!
