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Ginn Sur Mer Classic
October 25 - 28, 2007
Palmer course at Tesoro Club
Port St. Lucie, FL
Par: 73 / Yardage: 7,381
Purse: $4.5 million with $810,000 going to the winner
Defending Champion: Inaugural Event
Tournament facts:
Inaugural Event
Tournament information:
The Ginn sur Mer Championship was a late addition to the PGA Tour schedule. In June 2007, the Ginn sur Mer Championship was announced as the replacement for the Running Horse Golf Championship, which was set to debut during the PGA Tour Fall Series but fell through before its inauguation.The PGA Tour and Ginn Resorts have agreed to a five year deal under which the tournament will be played at Ginn Resorts properties. In 2007, it will be played at Tesoro Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Future plans are to move the tournament to the Ginn Sur Mer resort currently under construction on Grand Bahama island.
Course information:
The Tesoro Golf Club, host of the 2007 Ginn sur Mer Championship, was designed by Arnold Palmer in 2003. The Par 72 course plays at 7226 yards. It features a 76.3 course rating and a 155 slope rating. The course itself is lined with Tif Sport Bermuda Grass. Both the tees and fairways are cut at 0.4", while the rough is cut at 2.75". The greens, which are cut to a miniscule 0.09", features a stimpmeter rating of 12 feet.The course has hazards abound. Built on wetlands, water comes into play on every hole, but provides the majority of the course's scenery. On top of the numerous water hazards, 58 bunkers line marshy golf course.
The Buzz:
It will be interesting to see the carnage of this week's course. In a Craig Dolch Palm Beach Post piece he writes about players displeasure of the course and how it's quirky nature is bringing out the unhappiness in a lot of players.It's been a very surprising Fall Series so far as we have had four marquee names in Steve Flesch (Turning Stone), Chad Campbell (Viking), Justin Leonard (Valero Texas) and Mike Weir (Fry's Electronics). In the one event that didn't have a marquee winner, George McNeill, it turned out to be a compiling story.
Talking about last week's winner Mike Weir, his victory was the sixth this season by a southpaw (three by Phil Mickelson, two by Steve Flesch and Weir) making it the most wins by lefties in ne season on the PGA Tour.
This week's Ginn Sur Mer Classic is another chance for someone to gain some redemption for his years work. Just look at how every Fall Series event has had that one great finish which propelled a player into the top-125:
Last week at the Fry's Electronics Open, Mark Hensby began the week 151st and with his 2nd place finish is now 99th.
Last week going into the Frys.Com Open D.J. Trahan was 126th on the money list and his 2nd place finish it shot him up to 81st.
Going into the Valero Texas Open Jesper Parnevik was 138th on the money list and with his runner-up finish he shot up to 94th and secured his card.
At the Viking Classic Johnson Wagner was the runner-up and shot from 123rd on the money list to 83rd and at the Turning Stone Championship Michael Allen started the week 154th on the money list and after his runner-up finish he was 89th securing his card for 2008. Have to wonder if this streak will continue this week and next?
Creating some "buzz" is the fact that for most players they have to get use to a new course. The Palmer Course at Tesoro Club will play at 7,381 yards making it the ninth longest course on the PGA Tour. So again this week doesn't favor anyone, in a way it's like starting a season from the beginning.
In looking at the money list for marquee names that are looking for a good finish to get back into the top-125 is Joe Durant at 130, Durant won the Disney last year and hasn't played well since. Another big name is 2005 U.S. Open champion Corey Pavin who is 145th on the money list. One behind him is crowd favorite Billy Andrade. Some other major winners in trouble are Bob Tway at 153rd, Lee Janzen at 159th and John Daly at 182nd.
One last sad story has to do with Brett Quigley who Doug Ferguson told us last week about having knee surgery after the Deutsche Bank Championship. At the time he was 109th on the money list with $717,411 and thought he was a shoe-in to retain his card but with two events left he is 126th on the money list.
Here are some things to look for this week:
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Here are some of the secrets that it will take to play well this week at the Ginn Sur Mer Classic at Tesoro:
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Key stat for the winner:
In looking for a Palmer Course its hard to predict a winner since everyone will be starting fresh so the odds are quite good on getting an unknown winner. Just look at some of the events that have played on new courses, winners that you least expect winning like last week's champion Mike Weir seem to win. Also course is very quirky and that tends to give an advantage to a poorer player, look for the possibility of a non-125 player to win. - Accuracy is going to play the key over distance. The Palmer course is lined with tight undulating fairways that is surrounded with water and sand not only along the fairways but in the middle of several of the fairways
- Good bunker player since there are 100-plus bunkers on the course
- Interesting to note that three of the five winners of events from Florida are those that are either born Floridians or now live in Florida. Those Florida residents who are in the field this week include: Calcavecchia, Allenby, Olin Browne, Jesper Parnevik, Will MacKenzie, Ben Curtis and Lee Janzen.
- Those that play good in wind. It could be quite windy in the area this time of year and the course is susceptible to winds so look for a good wind player to prevail.
- Only three of the top-50 players in the world are playing this week - Tim Clark (33), Robert Allenby (41), Mark Calcavecchia (42). However, 18 of the top-100 players in the world rankings are in the field.
- On the other end of the spectrum, of those on the money list between 120 and 139 are in the field this week except for Brett Quigley who we talked about in the "Buzz" section.
Who to Watch for at the Ginn sur Mer Championship:
Best Bets:
| Justin Leonard |
A very streaky player, winning last month in Texas and finishing T6th last week in Phoenix. The topper on this pick is that he won the 2003 Honda Classic on a new venue that is a lot like Tesoro.
| Pat Perez |
Game seems to be coming together with the possibility of him putting together four good rounds for a possible high finish.
| Lucas Glover |
Still feel that he can be a winner in 2007, has a good record playing Florida courses, he will be in contention this week.
Best of the rest:
| Tim Clark |
T18th last week in Phoenix, had two great rounds and two subpar rounds, if he could be more consistent will contend this week.
| Carl Pettersson |
Look for another good start from him, things looked great last week in Phoenix until a final round 74.
| Heath Slocum |
Solid record playing courses in Florida, finished T2nd at Tampa Bay earlier this year.
| Jesper Parnevik |
Good finishes in his last couple of starts, you have to think that he will do well this week on a Florida course.
| Ryan Moore |
Game looked to be coming together in Phoenix last week until he finished up 71-72 for a 6th finish.
| Mark Calcavecchia |
Looked terrible last week, still he is coming home to a Florida course the last time he did this was with his win at the Pods Open a week after a terrible finish the week before.
Longshots that could come through:
| Alex Cejka |
Another of those playing well right now, again surprised he hasn't contended more.
| Brian Davis |
Game has improved over the last couple of weeks, finished T6th last week in Phoenix.
