TPC Boston © Peter Corden
Rory-McIlroy 12/1 © internetsense
The FedEx Cup moves on to the TPC club in Norton, Massachusetts, which is about 25 miles south of Boston. Originally designed by Arnold Palmer and built in 2003, the course was re-designed by Gil Hanse and Brad Faxon.
Gil Hanse of Hanse Golf Course Design is known as one of the best traditional golf course designers in the United States and along with Brad Faxon was commissioned to undertake a re-design with the remit to make the course blend in more naturally with its New England surroundings.
Gil Hanse spent a year in Great Britain studying the earliest examples of golf course architecture and interned with Hawtree and Son, one of the oldest golf course architectural firms in the world. The influence of Hawtree and Son can be seen in Gil Hanse work, preserving and protecting the integrity of the land, maximizing the natural characteristics of the terrain and minimizing human impact on the landscape during construction.
Hanse became only the third American architect to build a course in Scotland when he created Craighead Golf Links, which opened in 1998. Ron Whitten, Editor of Golf Course Architecture said, “This was a refinement and enhancement of a course whose basic structure was sound, not a total renovation or wholesale replacement.”
Steve Stricker 28/1 © Keith Allison
My tips to win:
It was good to see Rory McIlroy 12/1 shoot that second round 65 at last week’s Barclay’s, which followed up on a good showing at the US PGA Championship where he managed a Top 10 finish in defense of that title. It’s not been the greatest of years for the lad from Holywood, but I think this week’s defending champion could come back with a bang.
Jason Day 28/1 has had a Top 5 finish on this track back in 2011 and I thought he was going to do well last week at The Barclays after his opening round 66, but three consecutive rounds in the 70s put paid to any chance he had. Jason has had three Top 10 finish in this year’s major championships and no win, but I think we may see back-to-back Australian victories this week.
Steve Stricker 28/1 is a former champion here winning the event back in 2009 and he has also had a couple of other Top 15 finishes at this event. Steve has only played ten events so far this year and has been inside the Top 10 on five occasions, with two runners-up finishes, that is a fantastic record and one I can only see continuing this week.
Jim Furyk 35/1 © James Marvin Phelps
My each-way tips:
Last week was always going to be a bit of an “after the lord major’s show” feeling for Jason Dufner 33/1 after winning his first major championship the week before. Jason has had a runners-up finish in this event back in 2009 and has had a couple of Top 20 finishes since then, so look for the lad from Ohio to be in the mix come Sunday.
It seems Jim Furyk 35/1 enjoys playing this track and has only been outside the Top 15 once in the last five years, with three of those being Top 10 finishes. Jim is on a great run of form at the moment and has not been outside the Top 10 in his last four events, which include his runners-up finish at this year’s last major the US PGA Championship.
My outside tip:
Charley Hoffman 80/1 is a past champion here winning the 2010 event firing a final round 62, and anyone who can shoot that type of score on this track has to be taken notice of, his opening round of 64 wasn’t that bad either. Charley has had five Top 10 finishes so far this year and I am hoping that those great memories of 2010 give the Californian that added bit of confidence when he tees it up here this week.
For updated betting odds during the tournament go to planetgolfreview.com
