The British Open is only one week away and the top golfers in the world are either at St. Andrews already or are on their way. The John Deere Classic is the last stop for some of the PGA Tour players before heading to the British Open themselves.
But the British Open is not the story this week. That honor belongs to Michelle Wie as she makes her third career start on the PGA Tour. She has missed her two previous cuts, the most recent being at the Sony Open earlier this year. The appearance by Wie will definitely make tournament directors happy because the ratings will surely get a nice boost.
The attention may be centered around the “Big Wiesy” this week, but Mark Hensby should get his fair share of media time as well for numerous reasons. Hensby will of course be defending this week at the TPC at Deere Run. Hensby shot four rounds in the 60s last year to pick up his first PGA Tour victory. The Australian Hensby defeated John E. Morgan on the second playoff hole and earned a spot in last year’s British Open, which he would later turn down. Hensby also comes into this tournament playing pretty well. He finished in a tie for third at the U.S. Open last month and in a tie for 16th last week at the Western Open.
Mark Hensby would love to answer questions only pertaining to his victory at the John Deere Classic last year. However, that will not be the case. Earlier this year when asked about Michelle Wie playing in the John Deere Classic, Hensby had this to say.
I don’t think a 15-year-old girl who’s done nothing at all should get a sponsor’s invitation to a PGA Tour event. Michelle should be playing against girls her own age. She’s obviously a very good player but she’s only ever won one junior tournament. If she qualified I wouldn’t have a problem, but to take a sponsor’s invitation, I don’t think that’s right.
Mark Hensby will be answering questions about those comments all week long. That being said, Wie and Hensby aren’t the only golfers in the field this week. The field is definitely not one of the strongest of the year by any means, but there are still some players who can make an impact on any given week. David Toms is the top-ranked golfer in the John Deere Classic field and has been playing very consistent golf over the last month or so. Toms has finished in the top 15 in his last four starts, including a runner-up finish to Justin Leonard at the FedEx St. Jude Classic last month. David Toms won this event in 1997.
Stewart Cink is the 16th ranked golfer in the world and will also be teeing it up this week. Cink started the year with a few top tens and finished tied for 15th last week at the Western Open. Other than that, it has been a very inconsistent year for Cink. He will be looking to bounce out of his mini-slump this week and head into the British Open at St. Andrews on a roll.
Other notables that are playing the John Deere Classic this week are Nick Price, David Duval, and Zach Johnson. Price and Johnson have been up-and-down all year long, but both are very capable of playing solid golf. David Duval’s story is well-known by now. A few years ago, Duval was the best golfer in the world. Now, he is just struggling to make cuts on the PGA Tour. He has shown signs of the Duval of old, but his inconsistency has pulled him down when things are said and done. Hopefully, Duval will pull out some magic this week and have a strong finish.
The TPC at Deere Run is a par-71 layout that measures 7,183 total yards. Low scores are inevitable, as Hensby won last year after finishing at -16 overall. It will more than likely take four rounds in the 60s to win. The two finishing holes will either be feast or famine for the golfers this week. The 17th hole is a par-5 that measures 557 yards. The teeshot will have to be accurate, as the hole doglegs slightly to the left. There are a lot of bunkers in front of the green that will definitely make the players think twice before trying to reach it in two. Up-and-downs will be tough from around the putting surface, but low numbers can also be obtained by golfers who play the hole wisely.
The finishing hole is perfect for the most part. It also requires an accurate teeshot. The green is surrounded by bunkers on the right side and a small pond on the left side. The green is also surrounded by numerous trees. The tournament could definitely be decided on this hole, and par will be a great score here. There are a lot of bogeys waiting to happen at this premier finishing hole.
For my pick this week, I’m going with David Toms. Toms has been playing great golf as I mentioned earlier, and he is the best golfer in the field by far. He is accurate off the tee, and he can also shoot very low scores when needed. I look for David Toms to head over to St. Andrews on a major roll. For my “sleeper” pick, I’m going with Billy Mayfair. He has been flying under the radar the last couple weeks, with top ten finishes at the Barclays Classic and Western Open. This week could be the week Mayfair picks up his first win since 1998.
The weather for the John Deere Classic should be just fine. There are very small chances for rain, but it isn’t likely at all. The highs should be in the low-to-mid 80s all four days. The players will be playing for a total purse of $4 million, with $720,000 going to the winner. With the British Open on the horizon, most of the golfers are getting their final tune-ups in Scotland this week. But don’t overlook this little tournament. David Toms and Stewart Cink headline a field that includes a lot of good golfers looking for their first PGA Tour victory. The John Deere Classic can be seen on USA and ABC at the following times:
Thu 4-6pm ET USA Fri 4-6pm ET USA Sat 2-4pm ET ABC Sun 2-4pm ET ABC
Let’s hope Michelle Wie makes the cut at any professional golf event! The boys had Tiger Woods – let the girls have a champion. MommyCool.com believes mixing the genders a bit on the pro-golf tour is great for the sport – and for young women who aspire to be able to do anything another person can do!