Week 28 Approach Shots: U.S. Bank Championship

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The U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee is this week at Brown Deer Park Golf Course, the shortest course on the PGA TOUR. Brown Deer Park, which has hosted the event since 1994, is 6,759 yards.

A final-round 64 is just what Richard S. Johnson needed to win his first PGA TOUR title, the 2008 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. That 64 was one stroke better than Ken Duke's 65 -- one stroke eventually being Johnson's winning margin.

The victory lifted Johnson to a 77th-place finish in the FedExCup and a 119th-place position on the final money list. Johnson, a Stockholm, Sweden, native, will not be defending his title this week as he qualified for the British Open. But Wisconsin natives Jerry Kelly, Mark Wilson and J.P. Hayes are all in the field, as well as a pair of Champions Tour regulars -- Jeff Sluman and Loren Roberts, who both won twice in Milwaukee. Sluman was victorious in 1998 and 2002, while Roberts took home titles in 1996 and 2000. The start by Sluman is his 700th on the PGA TOUR.

HOMETOWN HERO: Jerry Kelly, a Madison, Wis. native is looking for his first U.S. Bank Championship win in his 16th start. Kelly has four top-10s in Milwaukee, with runner-up finishes to Loren Roberts (1996) and Corey Pavin (2006). Earlier this year, Kelly announced he would play the U.S. Bank Championship regardless whether he received a spot in the British Open. Kelly made the statement as a show of support for the tournament where he played his first two PGA TOUR events (1991 and 1992) and where he made his first TOUR cut, tying for 34th in 1995.

VICTORIOUS VAN SICKLE: Marquette University senior All-American Mike Van Sickle was one of eight American college players named to this year's United States Palmer Cup team. At the Palmer Cup, the Milwaukee native set a tournament record by scoring the largest margin of victory in a singles match, besting Leonardo Motta, 8 and 7. Van Sickle, the Big East Conference Player of the Year, was recently named the 2009 Byron Nelson Award winner. Mike helped Marquette win the 2008 Big East Championship, Marquette's first men's golf conference title and its first Big East Championship in any sport.

CLEMSON'S LEADING MAN: Kyle Stanley, a first-team All-American from Clemson University, was recently named the 2009 Ben Hogan Award winner following his sophomore season. The top honor a collegiate golfer can earn, the award is presented annually to the top men's college golfer, taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions. A native of Gig Harbor, WA, Stanley set 18 Clemson records during his rookie campaign and was named the 2007 Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year. Stanley made his professional debut at the Travelers Championship in June. Stanley played in four PGA TOUR events as an amateur, making his first cut at the U.S. Open and finishing 53rd.

FINAL PUSH: The final-round scoring average (67.974) at the 2008 U.S. Bank Championship was the lowest single-round scoring average on TOUR last year. The cumulative scoring average (68.794) was the second-lowest on TOUR last year behind the Wyndham Championship (68.753).

SECOND PLACE STANDOUTS: The rich history of the U.S. Bank Championship boasts a past-champions list that includes Dave Stockton, Jay Haas, Corey Pavin, Greg Norman and Kenny Perry. But the tournament possesses one of the most impressive list of players who didn't win in Milwaukee but finished second. They include World Golf Hall of Fame members Sam Snead (1968), Gary Player (1969), Chi Chi Rodriguez (1981) Tom Watson (1984) and Jack Nicklaus (1985).

Corey Pavin, the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, will tee it up in his 18th U.S. Bank Championship. Pavin won in Milwaukee in 1986, at the time his fourth overall PGA TOUR title. He followed that win with another in 2006, his 15th career victory.

Appleton, Wis. native J.P. Hayes will be making his 15th consecutive appearance in Milwaukee and his 16th overall. Hayes has a pair of third-place finishes in his home state, in 2000 and 2001.

Weather forecast for the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee

THURSDAY, Rd. 1 FRIDAY, Rd. 2 SATURDAY, Rd. 3 SUNDAY, Rd. 4 Mostly Sunny Temp: 82 high/60 low Partly Cloudy Temp: 68 high/59 low Partly Cloudy Temp: 70 high/59 low Mostly Sunny Temp: 75 high/61 low

DTN/Meteorlogix is the official weather provider of the PGA TOUR. For more information, click here

U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee snippets

SCORING LOW: Look for a lot of low scores this week. Brown Deer Park GC played to a stroke average of 68.8 last year, the second lowest on TOUR in 2008. The final round scoring average of 67.97 was the lowest one round average on TOUR last season. SLUMAN'S BACK: Jeff Sluman will take a break from the Champions Tour this week to compete at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. A two-time winner of the event, Sluman will be making his 700th career start on the PGA TOUR. AGE SERVING THEM WELL: Look for a veteran player to win in Milwaukee this week. The tournament has been won nine times by players in their 40s or older, including Art Wall, who won in 1975 at age 51 years, 7 months and 10 days. PLAYING FOR A CAUSE: Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin is the primary beneficiary of this event. The hospital is rated No. 3 in the nation by Parents magazine and is recognized as one of Americas Best children's hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.

A victory this week earns you ...

• Fully Exempt for the remainder of 2009 and all of 2010-11 • 250 FedExCup points: A win could create additional opportunities to play in the 2009 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup • A spot in the following events in order of play: 2009 PGA Championship, 2010 SBS Championship, 2010 PLAYERS Championship • If a U.S. player, 1,440,000 points towards making the 2009 Presidents Cup team.

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-5, 557-yard 18th at Brown Deer Park Golf Course LAST YEAR: The 18th played to a stroke average of 4.516, with players recording 7 eagles, 210 birdies, 179 pars, 20 bogeys and 1 double bogey. DESCRIPTION: This par 5 may well decide the tournament. A good drive over the creek allows you to go for the green in two, otherwise you must lay up. The green has five bunkers in front to penalize the daring golfer who needs an eagle to win. (Click here for tour)