Well, this week we can finally see some birdies! It may be hard to top last week's final-hole theatrics, but the Booz Allen Classic has been known to provide some drama in its own right. Last year, the Swashbucklin' Spaniard found a putter that actually worked for him and walked away with this event.

You may not see eight-inch rough, but you can bet on seeing some birdies this week!

Last Year
Sergio Garcia came to the Booz Allen Classic last year ranked 168th in putting, but crediting a tip he recieved earlier in the week, he would finish the even tied for fewest putts with 107.

Garcia who had lost in a playoff at the Wachovia Championship just weeks prior, found himself in contention on Sunday. He started his rampage with birdies on the first and fourth holes, an eagle on the sixth, and two more birdies on seven and nine to go out in thirty strokes.

As this was going on, Ernie Els was making a charge of his own, carding birdies on the last four holes of his front nine. However, he would three-putt the eleventh and twelfth holes and double-bogey the eighteenth to finish two strokes behind his Spanish peer.

The Course
The Tournament Players Club at Avenel measures 7,005 yards, which may be deceiving because it plays to a par of seventy-one. The course opened with immediate fan-fare as PGA Tour player Arnold Palmer put the 239-yard par-3 third hole in the record books when he made consecutive holes-in-one on this hole in the 1986 Chrysler Cup. It was the first time back-to-back aces were recorded on any professional tour.

The course features a very diverse array of holes. Including the enormous par three third that Arnold Palmer put to shame, a long hole which is counter-balanced by the diminutive eleventh hole measuring 147 yards. This TPC features par fours measuring between 301 yards and 470, putting a real premium on both distance and accuracy. The diversity continues in the par fives, starting with the second hole which is a three-shotter for all but the longest hitters, measuring 622 yards. However the final two par fives are reachable for most, both measuring in the 520's.

Who's Hot
Padraig Harrington is coming of a great finish at the U.S. Open and will surely be looking to capture the win he missed out on last week. The Irishman's putter may be his greatest weapon, as he is well known for dropping bombs from all over the green.

Although J.B. Holmes didn't play fantastically at the Open, he will most definitely be looking forward to playing a course with less penal rough so he can smack the bejesus out of the ball as he likes to.

Despite Brett Quigley's less-than-stellar Open play, he's been playing fabulous golf as of late and I look to him to continue that trend. There was much talk prior to the Open as to his chances to win it and although he missed that opportunity, he will definitely be on the prowl this week.

Ryuki Imada, who got noticed earlier this year for playing alone in the Verizon Heritage and finished in one hour and fifty minutes, briefly held the clubhouse lead last week. Hopefully he's gained some confidence in his abilities from his excellent play last week and will be able to convert that to a podium finish.

Who's Not
Jason Gore has been battling an arm injury for the last few weeks and has been basically out of commission. I feel for the big guy, but I don't see him doing much this week. Especially so if he doesn't trust his arm.

Kenny Perry led the Driving Accuracy chart for much of the week last week, which should have put him at or near the top of the leaderboard. However, his poor iron play and ugly putting kept him away from contention. Don't look for him to do a whole lot this week.

TV Coverage Times
All times eastern (ET) unless otherwise noted.

Thu, June 22       USA      4:00 - 6:00pm
                   XM146    12:00 - 8:00pm

Fri, June 23       USA      4:00 - 6:00pm
                   XM146    12:00 - 8:00pm

Sat, June 24       ABC      3:00 - 6:00pm
                   XM146    10:00 - 8:00pm

Sun, June 25       ABC      3:00 - 6:00pm
                   XM146    12:00 - 8:00pm

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Golf fans get a special treat this week at the Booz Allen Classic. It is very rare to find a strong field the week before a major championship. That is not the case this week at Congressional, as eight of the top ten players in the world will be ready for action a week before the U.S. Open heads to Pinehurst #2. Tiger Woods and David Toms are the only players in the top ten that will not be playing this week. The Booz Allen Classic, formerly known as the Kemper Open, is usually played at the TPC at Avenel. Avenel is undergoing evaluation this year, so the tournament had to pick another home. Congressional Country Club is the site for the tournament this year, and it is a great layout.

Congressional has held several major championships in the past, with the 1997 U.S. Open being the most notable. Ernie Els was the winner that particular week, and the "Big Easy" will be teeing it up this week as well. With just one week to go before the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, many of the top players in the world are eager to use this course as a major tuneup for next week's major. Other members of the "Big Five" that will be at Congressional this week include world #1 Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, and Retief Goosen. Singh barely held onto his number one ranking after missing the cut last week at the Memorial. Tiger Woods, however, finished in a tie for third and inched ever so close to once again overtaking Singh for the top spot.

Phil Mickelson hasn't played since Colonial a couple weeks ago, as he is going through his "major championship" planning as usual. In his start at Colonial, Mickelson finished in a tie for 26th. Goosen, on the other hand, hasn't played the PGA Tour since the Byron Nelson Championship in mid-May where he missed the cut. Goosen will of course be defending his U.S. Open crown next week, and he will be looking to get into U.S. Open form this week in Maryland. These four players alone will make this year's Booz Allen Classic better than any other in recent memory, including its years as the Kemper Open.

Also playing this week is defending Booz Allen Classic champion Adam Scott. Last year, Scott won this tournament by a comfortable four-shot margin. He held off a surging Charles Howell III to pick up the victory, as he ended up at -21 for the tournament. He is trying to become the first person to defend his title at this tournament since Craig Stadler won in 1981 and 1982. Adam Scott has four top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year, including a win at the shortened Nissan Open. He also won the European Tour's Johnnie Walker Classic earlier in the year.

Other notables playing the Booz Allen Classic this week include Sergio Garcia, Chris DiMarco, and Padraig Harrington. These three guys are also ranked in the top ten in the world rankings and will be looking to steal some of the thunder from the "Big Four" this week. A couple guys who have won this event in the past include Justin Leonard and Stuart Appleby. Leonard has already won two events in 2005, the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in January and the FedEx St. Jude Classic two weeks ago. Appleby has won once this year so far, with that victory coming in the season-opening Mercedes Championship.

Also, there are a few players in the field this week that played very well at Congressional Country Club in the 1997 U.S. Open. Tom Lehman had a very good chance to win coming down the stretch on Sunday, but he put his approach shot in the water on the 17th hole. Lehman went on to finish in third that year. Jeff Maggert finished in fourth behind Lehman, and Jim Furyk rounded out the top five by finishing in fifth. This golf course sets up nicely for all of these guys, and they should be contenders all week long.

Congressional Country Club is definitely a step up as far as difficulty goes compared to the TPC at Avenel. As I mentioned earlier, Adam Scott won this tournament last year by shooting -21. When Ernie Els won the U.S. Open at Congressional back in 1997, his final score was a modest -4. The course that week was a par-70, but it will be a par-71 this week. It measures 7,232 yards from the tips. The two finishing holes are as tough as the finishing stretch at Sawgrass and will really test the golfers this week. The 17th hole, which has already been mentioned, is a 466 yard par-4 with water on three sides of the green. It will favor a draw off the tee for righties and a fade for the lefties. The players must put their ball in the fairway off the tee, or they will be struggling to save par all week.

The finishing hole is definitely different than most finishing holes on the PGA Tour. It was almost unheard of for a U.S. Open. It is a par-3 that measures 190 yards in distance. Tee shots that are short or too far left will find the water for sure, as this green is surrounded by the largest lake on the course. Add in the fact that there are bunkers on the back and right sides, and the players have themselves a very tough and grueling finishing hole. The tournament was won and lost in this two-hole stretch in 1997, and it will be this week as well if it's a close battle at the top of the leaderboard.

For my pick this week, I am going with a South African, but it isn't Ernie Els. I'm going with his good friend Retief Goosen. We all know Goosen plays his best golf around U.S. Open time, and I think this course will fit him very well if he keeps the ball in the fairway off the tee. He has yet to pick up a victory so far in 2005, but I think this will get him jumpstarted going into the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. My sleeper pick this week is none other than Tom Lehman, the man who finished third here at the 1997 U.S. Open. The course obviously fits his game, as it calls for a lot of draws from the tees and fairways. That is his strength, and I think he will bring his top game this week.

There are small chances for thunderstorms each day of the tournament, but they are very small chances at best. The highs should be anywhere from the high 70s to the low 80s. The players will be playing for a $5 million purse this week, with $900,000 going to the winner. The money just keeps rolling in for the winners each week on the PGA Tour. The fans definitely get a special pre-U.S. Open treat this week with such a strong field, so everyone should tune in and watch some this week in preparation for next week. The Booz Allen Classic can be seen on USA and ABC this week at the following times:

Thu    4-6pm ET    USA
Fri    4-6pm ET    USA
Sat    3-6pm ET    ABC
Sun    3-6pm ET    ABC

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