January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Who will win the Grand Slam?
The tournament is ostensibly a play-off between the winners of golf's four 'majors'. But with Harrington winning two and U.S. Open champion Tiger Woods pulling out injured there were two spots up for grabs. The alternate berths go to the best performers in the four majors outside of the winners, the only additional criteria being that they must have won a major in the past - hence the inclusion of Goosen and Furyk.
James Whittaker looks at the four champions vying for the Grand Slam title and get an inside view from club pro Keith Pearman on which of the quartet will master the Mid Ocean.
Padraig Harrington
As little as 18-months ago Padraig Harrington was still wondering if and when he would win his first Major.
He made his breakthrough at the Open Championships in 2007 and has now claimed three of the last six, including a thrilling defence of his Open Crown.
He arrived in Bermuda last year as a talented golfer on the verge of breaking into the elite.
This year he arrives firmly established as one of the best in the game.
With Woods out injured it was Harrington - not bigger names like Vijay Singh and Ernie Els - who stepped in to dominate the majors.
Over the past 18 months he has shown a ruthless efficiency in the home strait of big tournaments that only Woods has bettered in the modern era.
So will he go one-better than last year, when he lost out in a Grand Slam play off to Angel Cabrera?
Pearman fears he may not have enough left in the tank for this one.
"He's got a little bit of course experience but I think he's mentally tired. Winning two majors is going to take it out of you and he has said that he is fatigued.
"This is more of a relaxed tournment for these guys, though, so it might suit him right now."
Vital Statistics
Height: 6'1
Weight: 196lbs
Age: 37
Career earnings to date: $15 million
Career Major Victories: Open Championship 2007, 2008, PGA Championship 2008
Performances this year: Won Open and PGA Championships, Tied third in Northern Trust Open, 50th in FedEx Cup standings
Seahorses Odds: 5/2
Trevor Immelman
The emerging South African stepped out of the shadows of compatriots Ernie Els and Retief Goosen to claim the green jacket in April.
It was his first Major and only his second victory on the PGA tour, but Immelman did not come from nowhere in the style of Zach Johnson - the previous Masters winner.
He's long been tipped as the next star of South African golf. Nine-time Major winner Gary Player spent a lot of time nurturing him as a youngster and had forecast great things for him as early as the age of five.
Immelman is said to have the 'perfect swing' and his imposing three-shot win over Tiger Woods is not expected to be a one-off.
So can he add the pink jacket to his wardrobe next week?
Pearman thinks he has a chance.
"He's a bit of an unknown quantity compared to some of the others and he's never played the course before. But he's a talented player, coming out of South Africa.
He had some problems this year but he got healthy, got strong and proved he is among the best of the best."
Vital Statistics
Height: 5'9
Weight: 170lbs
Age: 28
Career earnings to date: $9 million
Career Major Victories: US Masters 2008
Performances this year: Won U.S. Masters, Second in Stanford St Jude Champs, 16th in FedEx Cup standings
Seahorses Odds: 4/1
Retief Goosen
It's been a quiet year for the Goose by his exemplary standards.
He hasn't won a tournament on the PGA tour with a second placed finish at the World Golf Championships his best performance of the year and only qualified because Padraig Harrington won two majors, while U.S. Open winner Tiger Woods pulled out injured.
But the unflappable 'ice-man', known for keeping his cool under pressure, has still amassed more than a million dollars in prize money.
Goosen is no stranger to the PGA Grand Slam having twice qualified for the event in Hawaii, courtesy of his U.S. Open wins in 2001 and 2004.
He finished third on both those occasions, but will he fare any better in Bermuda?
"He's been around for a long time and he's never had a year where he's been out of the top 100.
"He has the talent, he has the experience and he is capable of winning," said Pearman.
Vital Statistics
Height: 5'11
Weight: 185lbs
Age: 39
Career earnings to date: $20 million
Career Major Victories: U.S. Open 2001, 2004
Performances this year: Tied second in World Golf CA Championships, Second in World Golf Bridgestone Invitational Championships, 108th in FedEx Cup standings
Seahorses Odds: 5/2
Jim Furyk
Furyk returns to Bermuda for the second year running having qualified for this event once again without winning a major.
The fact that he is the go-to guy when there are spots to fill in the Grand Slam is testament to his amazing consistency in the big tournaments.
His good-natured nickname on the tour prior to his breakthrough U.S. Open win in 2003 was T4 (as in tied for fourth) reflecting the fact that he was always near the top of the leaderboard, but never quite pushed through to be a winner.
His best performance this year was actually a T5 in the U.S. Open and along with solid displays in the other three Majors it was enough to win him a ticket to Bermuda. But how will his distinctive looping swing described by one pundit as as "like an octopus falling out of a tree" suit the narrow fairways of the Mid Ocean?
"He's the favourite, in my opinion," says Pearman. "He's played here three or four times; at last year's PGA and previously in the Gillette tour so he's got the advantage in terms of knowing the course."
Vital Statistics
Height: 6'2
Weight: 185lbs
Age: 38
Career earnings to date: $39 million
Career Major Victories: US Open 2003
Performances this year: Tied second in World Golf CA Championships, Tied third at AT&T National, Tied third at BMW Championships, 5th in FedEx Cup standings, helped U.S. win Ryder Cup
Seahorses Odds: 2/1
[[In-content Ad]]
Comments:
You must login to comment.