Week 12 Approach Shots: Triton Financial Classic

text size

Jun. 4, 2009

STRUGGLING WATSON RETURNS TO DEFEND: The Triton Financial Classic returns to The Hills Country Club in Austin this week, one of three Texas events on the Champions Tour schedule. Later in the season, the Tour will be near Houston for the Administaff Small Business Classic and in San Antonio for the AT&T Championship.

Quick facts

WHAT: 12th of 26 official Charles Schwab Cup events

WHEN: June 5-7

WHERE: Austin, Texas

COURSE: The Hills Country Club

WHAT'S AT STAKE: $1.6 million ($240,000 to the winner)

KEY LINKS: Tee Times | Scores | Power Rankings | Tournament site

This week, Denis Watson defends the title he won a year ago when he edged a trio of players, including Scott Hoch, by one stroke. The Watson win denied Hoch from winning in Austin for the second consecutive year. Watson went to the final hole in a four-way tie for the lead, made a 7-foot birdie putt to post his 10-under 206 and then watched as none of the pursuers could match his score.

This season, Watson has struggled to pick up momentum, even with a tie for fourth at the Toshiba Classic in March. Watson is 41st in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.

BACK FROM SURGERY: Peter Jacobsen, who has been sidelined since the start of the year after undergoing left rotator cuff surgery in January, is expected to make his first start of the season in Austin. His last start came in the summer of 2008 after undergoing right-knee replacement surgery in April of that year. He played in just seven tournaments in 2008 and none after the U.S. Senior Open. He owns two Champions Tour victories in his career, including the 2004 U.S. Senior Open.

START NO. 2 FOR BROWNE: Olin Browne, a winner of three PGA TOUR titles and four Nationwide Tour events, will make his second Champions Tour appearance after making his debut at last week's Principal Charity Classic, where he tied for 50th. Browne, who turned 50 on May 22, was a regular on the PGA TOUR from 1992-2008 and earned nearly $8.5 million in his career.

HARD ON THE CHAMPIONS: Past champions haven't enjoyed great success when trying to defend their titles in Austin. In 2004, Hale Irwin tied for 40th after winning the inaugural event the previous year, while in 2005, Larry Nelson tied for 25th in defense of his 2004 crown. In 2006, Jim Thorpe tied for 21st after winning in 2005. Two years ago, Jay Haas tied for 10th, and last year, Scott Hoch managed to post the best finish ever by a defending champion -- a tie for second.

TOUGH HOLE: The par-4 ninth at The Hills Country Club annually ranks among the most difficult on the Champions Tour. It was 42nd in difficulty on the Champions Tour in 2008, with an average score of 4.288. However, in previous years, it has ranked even higher. Here is its position on the most difficult list during the previous six years.

Year	Rank	Average
2003	T8	4.421
2004	2	4.659
2005	4	4.652
2006	2	4.498
2007	7	4.491
2008	42	4.288

Weather forecast for the Triton Financial Classic

FRIDAY, Rd. 1	SATURDAY, Rd. 2	SUNDAY, Rd. 3
Mostly sunny Temp: 95 high/69 low	Partly cloudy Temp: 97 high/71 low	Mostly sunny Temp: 96 high/72 low

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

Triton Financial Classic snippets

	New finish: For the first time in its six-year history, the tournament will finish at the par-3, former 16th hole. No. 17 will become the new No. 16, and former No. 18 becomes the new No. 17. Also, the tournament will begin at the former No. 6, which now becomes No. 1.
	New faces: Nearly a dozen new players will tee it up this year in Austin: Hal Sutton, Lanny Wadkins, Robert Thompson, John Morse, Larry Mize, Bernhard Langer, Steve Thomas, Blaine McCallister, Olin Browne, Ken Green and Dan Forsman.
	Tex-Haas: Texas brings out the best in Jay Haas. His '06 win here was his fifth in the state, and he later added a sixth in Houston. In addition to his two wins in '06, He's won three times in San Antonio, including two PGA TOUR wins and one at the 2005 SBC Championship. He also won the 1987 Big "I" Houston Open.
	Money leaders: Hale Irwin has won more money than any player in this event -- $414,188. Jim Thorpe is second with $374,187, followed by Scott Hoch with $357,333.