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Tiger Woods (+525) and Phil Mickelson (+885) are both playing in their first tournament since the U.S. Open. The storylines surrounding their respective returns couldn’t be more different, but it comes down to the same thing: How will they rebound?
Mickelson enters off a second place finish in the season’s second major. It would be a fine result under most circumstances, but Phil’s collapse on the 72nd hole has the golf world abuzz about how he will respond to the most disappointing loss of his career.
Woods enters off a missed cut at the U.S. Open – his first in a major as a pro. Many attributed the play to rustiness following the death of his father and the ensuing 10-week layoff. At the Cialis Western Open this week everyone will be looking to see how he responds to what’s undoubtably been the roughest stretch of his career.
This will be the 103rd playing of one of golf’s oldest tournaments, the last 15 of which have been held at the No.4 Dubsdread Course at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont, Illinois. Dubsdread is a monster of a golf course at 7,326 yards, though it’s historically favored the straight hitters rather than the long bombers.
Among recent winners are Woods (three times), Stephen Ames (+5432), Jerry Kelly (+8000), Scott Hoch, Robert Allenby (+3155) and defending champion Jim Furyk (+1012).
Robert Allenby (+106) vs. Adam Scott (-116) – Allenby (first round matchup)
You have to hit fairways to win at Dubsdread and Scott can’t. Scott hits 61.8 percent of his fairways, ranking him just 91st on tour.
Allenby is the perfect player for Cog Hill. No surprise, since he won the tournament in 2000. Allenby drives the ball long and straight, ranking 50th on the tour in driving distance (294.0 yards) and 33rd in driving accuracy (67.2 percent). Add it all up and he’s fifth on tour in total driving.
Tiger Woods (-123) vs. Vijay Singh (+113) – Singh (first round matchup)
The Western Open is one of Tiger’s regular stops on his selective schedule and this is the ninth time he’s competed in the tournament as a pro. Woods has broken 70 in the first round just three times in those nine appearances and, not coincidentally, he’s won the tournament each of those times.
Like Woods, Singh has also taken a rare two-week break following the U.S. Open, where he finished T-8. He’s also a fantastic first round player. Singh has shot over 71 just once in the 15 opening rounds he’s played this season and his 70.17 scoring average before the cut in the 12th-best mark on tour.
Woods is more of a finisher. He’s averaging just 70.71 before the cut.
Jim Furyk (-119) vs. Phil Mickelson (+109) – Furyk (tournament matchup)
These guys tied for second at the U.S. Open, but few even remember Furyk’s missed eight-footer on the 72nd hole. Mickelson’s final hole is already etched in golfing lore.
Phil will be fine in the long term, but he’s making his return at a course where he’s historically struggled. He’s never finished better than T-26 in nine appearances at Dubsdread.
And that was in 1996.
The course simply doesn’t suit Mickelson’s game. It rewards, above all else, accuracy – something Furyk has in bunches. No surprise that he’s the defending champion and has finished in the top 10 in six of his last seven appearances.
Pick to win:
Tim Clark (+6000). The 5-foot-7, 150-pound South African has been big on tour this season. He showed he can compete on long courses with a T-2 earlier this year at the Masters and he’s also one of the most accurate players in the game. He hits 69.1 percent of his fairways, good for 17th on the tour.
Clark has also never won a tournament in what’s been a very solid career otherwise. His performance in major championships (three career top three finishes) proves that he’s at his best on the biggest stages. The Western Open isn’t a major, but it’s among the top tournaments on tour, and a perfect place for a player like Clark to get his first career win.
Another interesting play is 1996 Western Open champion Steve Stricker (+5432), who’s back on the golfing map after struggling for the last four years. Stricker has finished the top 30 in his last five tournaments and has second, third and sixth place finishes during that time.
Mickelson enters off a second place finish in the season’s second major. It would be a fine result under most circumstances, but Phil’s collapse on the 72nd hole has the golf world abuzz about how he will respond to the most disappointing loss of his career.
Woods enters off a missed cut at the U.S. Open – his first in a major as a pro. Many attributed the play to rustiness following the death of his father and the ensuing 10-week layoff. At the Cialis Western Open this week everyone will be looking to see how he responds to what’s undoubtably been the roughest stretch of his career.
This will be the 103rd playing of one of golf’s oldest tournaments, the last 15 of which have been held at the No.4 Dubsdread Course at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont, Illinois. Dubsdread is a monster of a golf course at 7,326 yards, though it’s historically favored the straight hitters rather than the long bombers.
Among recent winners are Woods (three times), Stephen Ames (+5432), Jerry Kelly (+8000), Scott Hoch, Robert Allenby (+3155) and defending champion Jim Furyk (+1012).
Robert Allenby (+106) vs. Adam Scott (-116) – Allenby (first round matchup)
You have to hit fairways to win at Dubsdread and Scott can’t. Scott hits 61.8 percent of his fairways, ranking him just 91st on tour.
Allenby is the perfect player for Cog Hill. No surprise, since he won the tournament in 2000. Allenby drives the ball long and straight, ranking 50th on the tour in driving distance (294.0 yards) and 33rd in driving accuracy (67.2 percent). Add it all up and he’s fifth on tour in total driving.
Tiger Woods (-123) vs. Vijay Singh (+113) – Singh (first round matchup)
The Western Open is one of Tiger’s regular stops on his selective schedule and this is the ninth time he’s competed in the tournament as a pro. Woods has broken 70 in the first round just three times in those nine appearances and, not coincidentally, he’s won the tournament each of those times.
Like Woods, Singh has also taken a rare two-week break following the U.S. Open, where he finished T-8. He’s also a fantastic first round player. Singh has shot over 71 just once in the 15 opening rounds he’s played this season and his 70.17 scoring average before the cut in the 12th-best mark on tour.
Woods is more of a finisher. He’s averaging just 70.71 before the cut.
Jim Furyk (-119) vs. Phil Mickelson (+109) – Furyk (tournament matchup)
These guys tied for second at the U.S. Open, but few even remember Furyk’s missed eight-footer on the 72nd hole. Mickelson’s final hole is already etched in golfing lore.
Phil will be fine in the long term, but he’s making his return at a course where he’s historically struggled. He’s never finished better than T-26 in nine appearances at Dubsdread.
And that was in 1996.
The course simply doesn’t suit Mickelson’s game. It rewards, above all else, accuracy – something Furyk has in bunches. No surprise that he’s the defending champion and has finished in the top 10 in six of his last seven appearances.
Pick to win:
Tim Clark (+6000). The 5-foot-7, 150-pound South African has been big on tour this season. He showed he can compete on long courses with a T-2 earlier this year at the Masters and he’s also one of the most accurate players in the game. He hits 69.1 percent of his fairways, good for 17th on the tour.
Clark has also never won a tournament in what’s been a very solid career otherwise. His performance in major championships (three career top three finishes) proves that he’s at his best on the biggest stages. The Western Open isn’t a major, but it’s among the top tournaments on tour, and a perfect place for a player like Clark to get his first career win.
Another interesting play is 1996 Western Open champion Steve Stricker (+5432), who’s back on the golfing map after struggling for the last four years. Stricker has finished the top 30 in his last five tournaments and has second, third and sixth place finishes during that time.