WITH the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship coming up in the next fortnight not many of the US PGA Tour’s elite will be gracing the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia this week.
However, the 2015 Quicken Loans National has still attracted a rather decent field that includes two-time champion Justin Rose and new world No.8 Rickie Fowler.
Also on hand will be event host Tiger Woods, who will have yet another opportunity to get his career back in gear.
Woods’ first trick will be to make the cut – not something people used to say about the 14 time major winner. In fact, Woods last played this course in 2005 when he was world No.1. This week if he doesn’t finish in the top 40 he could go into the year’s final major in a fortnight outside the top 300 in the Official World Golf Ranking and will be on the verge of missing the FedExCup Playoffs for a second straight year.
“I’m not really there in contention very often [recently] and so that part is frustrating,” Woods said this week ahead of the tournament. “But I know how close it feels and I know that I just need a couple shots here and there and it turns the tide. Every time I’ve had those opportunities I haven’t done it. … People don’t really realize how close it has been between a person who is winning and a person missing the cut. It’s not as big a gap as people might think.”
The Aussie contingent is led by Steve Bowditch and John Senden, both assured of spots in the upcoming playoffs (that’s right doesn’t time fly … there’s only two regular season events till the “end of year” playoffs.
Needing to get a wriggle on this week to have some chance of making the playoffs are Aaron Baddeley, Cameron Percy, and (particularly) Robert Allenby.
TV Times
Live coverage on Fox Sports beginning Friday 4.30am – 8.30am
2015 Quicken Loans National Leaderboard
2015 Quicken Loans National Leaderboard