GENUITY
CHAMPIONSHIP, Doral Golf Resort and Spa (Blue Course), Miami,
Florida.
Formerly called the Doral-Ryder Open, this year marks the 40th edition
of this event. Last year, Jim Furyk erased a six-shot deficit over
the last seven holes to defeat Franklin Langham by two shots. Furyk
carded six birdies for a back-nine 30 on Sunday and earned his fifth
career victory. He birdied the famous 18th at Doral while Langham
carded a bogey at the same hole to post the two-shot win.
Greg Norman
holds the record for the largest come-from-behind victory at this
event, erasing a seven-shot deficit in 1990 with a course-record
62 and then winning the playoff against Paul Azinger, Mark Calcavecchia
and Tim Simpson. Furyk and Ben Crenshaw are the only players to
birdie the final hole for the victory.
Furyk is looking
to become only the second player in this event's history to win
back-to- back titles. Ray Floyd won this tournament in both 1980
and 1981. Furyk will be searching for his second title of the 2001
campaign as he outlasted Rory Sabbatini at the Mercedes Championship
in January.
This year's
field boasts 10 of the top-20 players in the World Golf Rankings,
but not number-one Tiger Woods, who is competing in the Dubai Desert
Classic on the European Tour. There have been four playoffs in this
event's history, the last coming in 1991 when Rocco Mediate defeated
Curtis Strange.
Andy Bean,
Floyd and Norman are the only three-time winners of this tournament.
Hubert Green owns the tournament record for the widest margin of
victory: six strokes over Mark Hayes and Jack Nicklaus in 1976.
Nicklaus will
also be on hand for his 37th appearance. The "Golden Bear" has won
the tournament twice, finished second five times, third twice and
fourth twice and has 16 top-10 finishes. Fred Funk has made the
cut in all eight tries at this event.
Greg
Norman is a Blue Monster specialist. Allsport.
The "Blue Monster"
of Doral Resort has hosted this event since its inception in 1962.
Dick Wilson and Joe Lee designed the course back in 1961. Ray Floyd
redesigned the course in 1996 and Jim McLean reworked and removed
some of the bunkers around the course in 1999.
There have been
only two wire-to-wire winners of this event, but none in the last
21 years. Lee Trevino led from start to finish in 1973 and Andy
Bean led wire-to-wire in 1977. This event is the longest continuously
running PGA Tour event in Florida.
The purse for
this event has been increased by $1,500,000 to $4,500,000 with $810,000
to the winner. USA Network will carry the action on Thursday and
Friday with NBC taking over on the weekend. Next week the PGA Tour
moves to Coral Springs, Florida for the Honda Classic where Dudley
Hart is expected to defend his title.
SENIOR TOUR
TOSHIBA
SENIOR CLASSIC, Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, California.
Allen Doyle captured this event last year after a heavy downpour
canceled the final round. Doyle had a one-shot lead over Jim Thorpe
and Howard Twitty when an overnight rainfall forced officials to
call off the last round and declare Doyle the champion.
The victory
was Doyle's fifth in two years on the Senior Tour, with four coming
in his rookie season in 1999, including the PGA Senior's Championship.
Doyle is looking to become the first two-time winner of this event.
George Archer owns the tournament record at 199 while Hale Irwin
holds the course record with a 62.
Gary McCord
won for the first time in more than 375 tries on both the PGA and
Senior Tour when he outlasted Doyle, Al Geiberger and John Jacobs
in a playoff in 1999. Newport Beach Country Club was originally
known as Irvine Coast Country Club when it first opened in 1954.
William Bell
designed the course in 1952, which has had redesign work by Harry
Rainville and Ted Robinson.
Mesa Verde Country
Club hosted this event in its first year. The purse was increased
by $100,000 from last year to $1,400,000 with the champion pocketing
$210,000. PAX has first-round coverage on Friday and CNBC will show
tape-delayed action for the weekend. Next week, the Senior Tour
will play the SBC Senior Classic and Joe Inman will be on hand to
defend his title.
EUROPEAN TOUR
DUBAI
DESERT CLASSIC, Emirates Golf Club (Majilis Course), Dubai,
United Arab Emirates. Last year, Jose Coceres ended a six-year
winless drought with a wire-to-wire victory at the Dubai Desert
Classic. He double-bogeyed the 18th but still finished with a two-shot
win over Paul McGinley and Patrik Sjoland. Coceres previous win
prior to this event was the 1994 Heineken Open Catalona, his only
other European Tour victory. Coceres will not be on hand this week
to defend.
World-number-one
Tiger Woods will be looking for back-to-back European Tour titles
as he makes his first appearance at this tournament. In November,
Woods captured the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand.
Seven of the
top-10 in last year's Order of Merit will be on hand this week,
including 2000 Order of Merit champion Lee Westwood, who will be
making his 2001 season debut. The 2001 edition of this event marks
the return to Emirates Golf Club after a two-year hiatus where play
was held at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.
Ernie Els set
the tournament record of 268 in 1994 and Fred Couples matched the
next year. Els also set the 18-hole record in this event in 1994
with a 61. Playoffs have decided three of the previous 12 tournaments,
the last coming in 1997 when Richard Green outdueled Greg Norman
and Ian Woosnam.
The Golf Channel
has live coverage of all four rounds. The purse is $1,447,973 with
$241,699 going to the winner. Next week the European Tour moves
to Qatar where Rolf Muntz is expected to defend.
