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PGA, European - WGC-Cadillac Championship Preview
From The Sports Network
| DATES: Thursday, March 8th through Sunday, March 11th |
| SITE: TPC Blue Monster at Doral, Doral, Florida |
| COURSE ARCHITECT: Dick Wilson and Robert Von Hagge (1962), Raymond Floyd and |
| Ted McAnlis (1996), Jim McLean (2000), PGA Tour/Doral (2006) |
| Hole-By-Hole: | 1 - Par 5 529 Yds | 10 - Par 5 551 Yds | |
| 2 - Par 4 418 Yds | 11 - Par 4 402 Yds | |
| 3 - Par 4 438 Yds | 12 - Par 5 603 Yds | |
| 4 - Par 3 236 Yds | 13 - Par 3 245 Yds | |
| 5 - Par 4 394 Yds | 14 - Par 4 460 Yds | |
| 6 - Par 4 442 Yds | 15 - Par 3 175 Yds | |
| 7 - Par 4 454 Yds | 16 - Par 4 372 Yds | |
| 8 - Par 5 560 Yds | 17 - Par 4 419 Yds | |
| 9 - Par 3 169 Yds | 18 - Par 4 467 Yds | |
| ------------- | ------------- | |
| 36 3,640 Yds | 36 3,694 Yds | |
| Annual: | 13th |
| Television: | Golf Channel - Thursday/Friday -- 1-6 p.m. (et), |
| | - Saturday -- 12-2 p.m. (et), |
| | NBC - Saturday -- 2-6 p.m. (et), |
| | Golf Channel - Sunday -- 1-3 p.m. (et), |
| | NBC - Sunday -- 3-7 p.m. (et) |
| Defending Champion: | Nick Watney |
| Runner-Up: | Dustin Johnson |
| Tournament Record: | 261 (Tiger Woods, 2006) |
| 54-Hole Record: | 194 (Tiger Woods, 2006) |
| 36-Hole Record: | 127 (Tiger Woods, 2006) |
| Course Record: | 61 (Stephen Ames, 2000 - Doral-Ryder Open) |
| Total Purse: | $8,500,000 |
| Shares: | 1st Place - $1,400,000; 2nd Place - $850,000; 3rd Place - $520,000 |
| 2011 Finish |
| Player | Score | Player | Score |
| Nick Watney | 272 | Luke Donald | 277 |
| Dustin Johnson | 274 | Adam Scott | 277 |
| Anders Hansen | 275 | Rickie Fowler | 278 |
| Francesco Molinari | 275 | Hunter Mahan | 279 |
| Matt Kuchar | 276 | Five players at | 280 |
| Past WGC-Cadillac Championship Winners |
| Year | Winner (Score) -- Runners-Up |
| 2011 | Nick Watney (272) -- Dustin Johnson |
| (TPC Blue Monster at Doral, Doral, Florida) |
| 2010 | Ernie Els (270) -- Charl Schwartzel |
| (TPC Blue Monster at Doral, Doral, Florida) |
| 2009 | Phil Mickelson (269) -- Nick Watney |
| (TPC Blue Monster at Doral, Doral, Florida) |
| 2008 | Geoff Ogilvy (271) -- Jim Furyk, Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh |
| (TPC Blue Monster at Doral, Doral, Florida) |
| 2007 | Tiger Woods (278) -- Brett Wetterich |
| (TPC Blue Monster at Doral, Doral, Florida) |
| 2006 | Tiger Woods (261) -- Ian Poulter, Adam Scott |
| (The Grove, Hertfordshire, England) |
| 2005 | *Tiger Woods (270) -- John Daly |
| (Harding Park Golf Course, San Francisco, California) |
| 2004 | Ernie Els (270) -- Thomas Bjorn |
| (Mount Juliet Conrad, Kilkenny, Ireland) |
| 2003 | Tiger Woods (274) -- Stuart Appleby, Tim Herron, Vijay Singh |
| (Capital City Club, Woodstock, Georgia) |
| 2002 | Tiger Woods (263) -- Retief Goosen |
| (Mount Juliet Estate, Kilkenny, Ireland) |
| 2001 | Not held due to the tragedies of September 11 |
| 2000 | Mike Weir (277) -- Lee Westwood |
| (Valderrama Golf Club, Sotogrande, Spain) |
| 1999 | *Tiger Woods (278) -- Miguel Angel Jimenez |
| (Valderrama Golf Club, Sotogrande, Spain) |
| Note:Formerly called WGC-American Express Championship (1999-2006); |
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WGC-CA Championship (2007-10).
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| Top Contenders in the Field |
| Player | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Nick Watney | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2nd | T-26 | Won |
| Dustin Johnson | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-35 | T-56 | 2nd |
| Francesco Molinari | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-14 | T-3 |
| Anders Hansen | T-57 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-12 | --- | T-45 | T-3 |
| Matt Kuchar | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-3 | 5th |
| Luke Donald | --- | --- | T-11 | T-11 | T-6 | T-26 | T-20 | T-20 | T-26 | T-6 |
| Adam Scott | T-39 | T-40 | T-36 | T-29 | T-2 | T-61 | T-9 | T-66 | T-50 | T-6 |
| Rickie Fowler | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 8th |
| Hunter Mahan | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-44 | T-53 | T-30 | 9th |
| Rory McIlroy | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-20 | T-65 | T-10 |
| Tiger Woods | Won | Won | 9th | Won | Won | Won | 5th | T-9 | --- | T-10 |
| Paul Casey | --- | T-8 | T-21 | --- | T-56 | T-9 | T-51 | T-31 | T-6 | T-18 |
| Steve Stricker | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-35 | T-6 | T-13 | T-16 | T-18 |
| Lee Westwood | --- | T-35 | T-13 | T-51 | T-32 | --- | T-34 | T-61 | T-30 | T-18 |
| Vijay Singh | 3rd | T-2 | --- | T-6 | T-56 | T-11 | T-2 | T-53 | T-11 | T-22 |
| Charl Schwartzel | --- | --- | --- | T-18 | T-41 | T-35 | --- | --- | 2nd | T-24 |
| Martin Kaymer | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-57 | T-35 | T-3 | T-24 |
| Zach Johnson | --- | --- | 10th | T-43 | T-45 | T-9 | T-9 | T-53 | T-37 | T-24 |
| Bill Haas | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-6 | T-31 |
| Retief Goosen | 2nd | T-8 | T-6 | --- | T-45 | T-58 | T-2 | T-66 | T-56 | T-31 |
| Robert Karlsson | --- | --- | --- | --- | 21st | T-11 | T-30 | T-31 | 62nd | T-31 |
| Y.E. Yang | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-65 | --- | 74th | T-30 | T-39 |
| K.J. Choi | --- | T-6 | T-57 | T-43 | T-32 | T-19 | T-12 | T-59 | --- | T-39 |
| Graeme McDowell | --- | --- | T-43 | T-6 | --- | --- | T-48 | T-66 | T-6 | T-42 |
| Ian Poulter | --- | T-44 | --- | T-18 | T-2 | T-16 | T-57 | T-13 | T-37 | T-45 |
| Jason Day | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-45 |
| Geoff Ogilvy | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-3 | Won | T-40 | T-45 | T-49 |
| Phil Mickelson | T-23 | T-38 | --- | T-29 | --- | T-23 | T-20 | Won | T-14 | T-55 |
| Alvaro Quiros | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-13 | T-6 | T-64 |
| Sergio Garcia | 7th | T-12 | T-4 | T-3 | T-32 | T-3 | T-15 | T-31 | T-37 | --- |
| Bubba Watson | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 72nd | --- | --- |
| Brandt Snedeker | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-48 | --- | --- | --- |
| Keegan Bradley | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Webb Simpson | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Phil Mickelson |
| Darkhorse - Brandt Snedeker |
| |
| Last Week's Pick to Win (Lee Westwood) - Finished 4th |
| Last Week's Darkhorse (Jimmy Walker) - Finished tied for 67th |
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| NOTES: |
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A stellar field is on hand this week for the second installment of the World
Golf Championships events, the Cadillac Championship. The top-52 players in
the world are competing for the $1.4 million first prize.
Rory McIlroy will be playing in his first tournament as the No. 1 player in
the world. McIlroy won The Honda Classic last week to supplant Luke Donald at
the top of the rankings, holding off a final round charge by former No. 1
Tiger Woods. McIlroy has finished in the top five in nine of his last 10
events, winning twice. His only finish outside of the top five was a tie for
11th at the Dubai World Championship in December.
This event features players in the top-50 from the Official World Golf
Rankings, any remaining top-30 players from the 2011 FedExCup Points List, any
remaining top-20 players from the 2011 European Tour Order of Merit, and any
remaining top-two players from the 2011 Australasian Tour Order of Merit,
Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, Asian Tour Order of Merit and Japan Golf Tour
Order of Merit not already in the field. This event also features the top-10
players on the current PGA Tour FedExCup Points List and European Tour Race to
Dubai standings.
This is the sixth straight year that the event will be held at the TPC Blue
Monster at Doral. In 2006, the event was held at The Grove in Hertfordshire,
England. In 2005, the event was held at Harding Park Golf Course in San
Francisco. The Jack Nicklaus-designed Mount Juliet Estate in Ireland hosted
two times (2002, 2004). The first two years of the tournament were held in
Spain at Valderrama, while the 2003 event was staged at Capital City Club's
Crabapple Course in Woodstock, Georgia. The 2001 tournament was to be played
at storied Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri, but was canceled
due to the tragedies of 9/11.
The TPC Blue Monster at Doral, which has played host to PGA Tour tournaments
since 1962, became part of the TPC Network in November 2009. The course's 18th
hole is traditionally one of the most-difficult finishing holes in golf.
Cadillac became the new title sponsor in 2011. The tournament was previously
known as the American Express Championship and CA Championship. The Doral
tournament transitioned into a World Golf Championships event for 2007.
The four-day, 72-hole event features no cut with a projected field of 69. Last
year, 74 players competed in the tournament. The WGC-Accenture Match Play
Championship, the first in the series, was held at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club
at Dove Mountain in Arizona. Hunter Mahan captured that title, defeating
McIlroy in the championship match. The third World Golf Championships event of
2012, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, will be held August 2-5 at Firestone
Country Club in Akron, Ohio, where Adam Scott won in 2011.
Last year, Nick Watney fired a five-under 67 in the final round to come from
behind and win by two shots over Dustin Johnson. Watney finished at
16-under-par 272 and won for the third time on the PGA Tour.
In 2009, Phil Mickelson overcame dehydration and exhaustion in the final round
to earn his first World Golf Championships title. Mickelson edged out his
fellow overnight co-leader Watney thanks to a three-under 69. It was enough
for Mickelson to get the victory at 19-under 269 and defeat Watney by a single
stroke. The win was well-earned by Mickelson, who was treated with IVs in a
medical facility Saturday night. Mickelson held at least a share of the lead
after every round. He carded rounds of 65-66-69-69. Mickelson matched the best
putting performance of his career with 99 putts over four rounds. He also had
99 putts at the 1998 MCI Classic at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Tiger Woods won this title for the sixth time in 2007. Only Sam Snead and
Woods have won more times at a single event. Snead won in Greensboro, North
Carolina eight times, while Woods has won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
seven times. Woods has also won the Buick Invitational six times.
In 2006, Woods cruised to an eight-stroke win. Woods opened with a course-
record 63 at The Grove in England and finished with rounds of 64-67-67 to win
in wire-to-wire fashion. He set a new tournament record of 261, breaking his
own mark of 263 set in 2002. He also established new 36-hole and 54-hole
records, once again breaking his own marks from 2002. Woods has captured 16
World Golf Championship events and his total earnings for these tournaments
are over $22 million.
The PGA Tour remains in Florida next week, moving to the west coast side of
the state for the Transitions Championship in Palm Harbor, where Gary Woodland
captured his first PGA Tour event last year. The European Tour travels to
Spain for the Open de Andalucia Costa del Sol, where Paul Lawrie won the 2011
title.
03/06 13:52:58 ET
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As of March 6, 2012, at 01:53 PM ET
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