Viking Classic

September 27 - September 30, 2007
Annandale Golf Club
Madison, Mississippi
Par: 72 / Yardage: 7,199
Purse: $3.5 million with $630,000 going to the winner
Defending Champion: D.J. Trahan

List of Champions & Scores

Results & Scores 2006 Southern Farm Bureau Classic

Box Score of 2006 Southern Farm Bureau Classic

Tournament facts:

Tournament information:

Since 1986, this event has been played during the same week as another major tournament. From 1986 to 1993, the event was held during Masters week. Beginning in 1994, the event was played opposite the British Open. Recently, it has been held the same week as various World Golf Championship events, as well as the Tour Championship. This year, the event will be played opposite the President's Cup.

The Viking Classic became an official money event on the PGA Tour in 1994. In an effort to boost the tournament's significance, the PGA Tour has incorporated the Viking Classic into its "chase for the card". This gives players the opportunity to earn exemptions as well as earn one's tour card for next year.

Course information:

In terms of hazards, the course features 69 bunkers, and water comes into play on 8 holes.

Over the years, the course has seen its share of changes. In 1997, the bunkers lining the course were re-shaped and filled with new sand. In 2005, the G-2 Bent Grass greens were torn-up and replaced with Champion Bent Grass. The most recent renovation came under Jack Nicklaus's supervision in 2006. The only major change was yardage added to a few of the holes.

The signature holes at Annandale Golf Course are Numbers 8 and 17. The Par 3, 8th is the toughest and largest putting surface on the course. Slightly downhill with water behind the green, this is the second of two long par threes on the front nine.

The Par 4 17th hole requires a long iron or fairway wood off the tee. The shot must be landed onto the island fairway to the right that is protected by water and rough. Proper placement is a necessity in order to reach the green in two. The optional fairway to the left is guarded by an out-of-bounds area to the left-side and a water hazard to the right. The 17th green is small and slender, and due to the difficult approach shot, tends to field shots from all angles.

The Buzz:

A rather surprising number is that 97 of the players in this week's Viking Classic field is currently outside of the top-125 of the money list and are working hard to try and get full status for 2008.

One person that doesn't have to worry about his exempt status for 2008 is Fred Funk, who always seems to come back to Mississippi. He has won this event twice in 1998 and 2004 and is entered again this year. Funk, who still likes playing on the PGA Tour despite being fully exempt on the Champions tour is always a big deal at Annandale and one of the best draws for the event.

In looking at the list of past champions of this event, the list isn't bad. It includes Billy Ray Brown, who won three times on the PGA Tour, Luke Donald, John Huston, Heath Slocum and D.J. Trahan. For the defending champion D.J. Trahan, the victory couldn't of come at a better time. He entered the week 142nd on the money list and was struggling to keep his card. So with the victory his problems were over for a couple of years at least. For 2007 Trahan comes into this week 120th on the money list and since his win a year ago has only had two top-ten finishes, at Houston and Colonial.

A big welcome back to the Tour for David Duval, who is playing this week after not being seen on the PGA Tour since the Nissan Open in February. He has been home in Colorado helping his wife take care of things who had a difficult pregnancy.

Here are some things to look for this week:

Photo: © Michael Cohen/Wire Images The 18th hole of the Annandale Golf Club, home of the 2007 Viking Classic..

Another one of these courses that look hard for the average golfer but for the professional golfer they should handle it just fine. .

• Key stat for the winner:
  Length isn't that important but it seems that a key stat is always making lots of birdies and playing well on the four par 5s. The last four winners of this event have played in the par 5s in double digit figures, with last year's champion D.J. Trahan playing it in 11 under.
• 32 players will be playing in this event for the first time so experience won't be showing in this event. In the last 13 years, six first-time winner have taken the title. Another thing to look for is that over 40 winner, in the last 20 years five of the champions have been over that age, the last one being John Huston who won the even in 2003.
• Although lacking some major star power, there are some former major championship winners in the field: Mark Brooks, John Daly, David Duval, Steve Elkington, Todd Hamilton, Lee Janzen, Shaun Micheel, Larry Mize and Bob Tway.
• Good putters should have a field day this week. In looking at past champions for the last six years this stat has been lacking. Now normally that means that a lot of greens are hit, that isn't the case last year Trahan was T12th in greens hit while the previous winner Heath Slocum was T22nd.
• Again, this is a hard event to pick because this isn't a place that is players put on there schedule every year. So look for the player that comes into this event playing well.
  
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