A Military Tribute At the Greenbrier Preview 2018

A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier Preview

Dates: July 5-8, 2018
Where: The Old White TPC; White Sulphur Springs, WV
Par/Yards: 34-36—70/7,286
Field: 156; Format: 72-hole stroke play
Purse: $7,300,000; Winner’s Share: $1,314,000;
FedExCup points to winner: 500
Defending Champion: Xander Schauffele
Twitter: @GBRMilitary
Website: http://www.amilitarytribute.com
Instagram: AMilitaryTribute

 

How Xander Schauffele won A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in 2017

With four rounds in the 60s leading to a 14-under-par 266 score, Xander Schauffele defeated Robert Streb by one stroke to win the 2018 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier. Schauffele continued a trend of come-from-behind winners at The Greenbrier (the seventh consecutive to do so) after making a 3-foot, 3-inch birdie putt on the 72^nd hole to hold off Streb, who finished runner-up for the second-consecutive year.

 

2017 Final Results

Xander Schauffele      64-69-66-67—266 (-14)

Robert Streb               65-68-65-69—267 (-13)

Sebastian Munoz        61-67-68-72—268 (-12)

Jamie Lovemark         69-64-66-69—268 (-12)

Kelly Kraft                  67-66-67-69—269 (-11)

Russell Henley           68-64-68-69—269 (-11)

 

More on Xander Schauffele

• Posted the seventh come-from-behind win in as many playings of the event, joining Stuart Appleby, Scott Stallings, Ted Potter Jr., Jonas Blixt, Angel Cabrera and Danny Lee.
• Won his first PGA TOUR victory at the age of 23 years, 8 months and 14 days in his 23^rd
• Became the third rookie to win the event, joining Ted Potter, Jr. (2012) and Scott Stallings (2011).
• Carried the victory on to Rookie of the Year honors, eventually becoming the youngest winner of the TOUR Championship and finishing No. 3 in the FedExCup standings.

 

A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier Preview

 The Rookies

On the heels of rookie Xander Schauffele’s victory at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in 2017 and subsequent Rookie of the Year honors, the 2018 Rookie of the Year race is heating up. Two rookies in this week’s field – Aaron Wise and Austin Cook – are among the top 30 in the FedExCup standings.

• Wise, the 2016 NCAA Individual Champion at the University of Oregon, won the AT&T Byron Nelson in May at the age of 21 to become the youngest winner since Si Woo Kim at the 2017 PLAYERS Championship. Coupled with a T2 performance at the Wells Fargo Championship, Wise is 23^rd in the FedExCup standings.

• Cook, a former University of Arkansas Razorback, won The RSM Classic last fall at the age of 26 and sits 28^th in the FedExCup standings. Cook’s other top-10 came at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, where he finished T6 on the strength of rounds of 69-65 on the weekend.

 

A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier and the FedExCup

With the FedExCup Playoffs just seven weeks away, A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier will once again play a pivotal role in players vying to make the Playoffs.

• All seven winners of A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier have advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs, with Danny Lee (2015) and Xander Schauffele (2017) the only champions to advance to the season-ending TOUR Championship .
• With his third-place finish in the 2017 FedExCup, Xander Schauffele posted the best finish in the standings by A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier champion (in the year that he won). Here’s a look at the final           FedExCup standings of each champion: Stuart Appleby (52), Scott Stallings (57), Ted Potter Jr. (93), Jonas Blixt (52), Angel Cabrera (50), Danny Lee (9), Schauffele (3).
• Nine players ranked inside the top 30 in the FedExCup: Bubba Watson (3), Phil Mickelson (8), Patton Kizzire (9), Webb Simpson (10), Tony Finau (11), Brian Harman (20), Aaron Wise (23), Austin Cook (28), Ryan Armour (30).
• Four past FedExCup champions are in this week’s field: Vijay Singh (2008), Jim Furyk (2010), Bill Haas (2011), Brandt Snedeker (2012).

 

AMilitary Tribute at The Greenbrier Preview: A glance at the field

• Six of the seven past winners: Stuart Appleby (2010), Scott Stallings (2011), Ted Potter Jr. (2012), Jonas Blixt (2013), Danny Lee (2015), Xander Schauffele (2017).
• Eight of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking: Bubba Watson (12) Phil Mickelson (20), Webb Simpson (21), Xander Schauffele (24), Brian Harman (26), Tony Finau (31), Kevin Kisner (33) and Russell Henley (46).

 

Phil Mickelson

In 2016, Phil Mickelson was named PGA TOUR Ambassador for The Greenbrier Resort and visited area residents who suffered devastating losses in the 2016 flood. Mickelson donated $100,000 to Neighbors Loving Neighbors, a program created by The Greenbrier Resort to help those residents recover. In addition, he helped rework the historic, but severely damaged, Greenbrier Course, which hosted the 1979 Ryder Cup.

• Win at the 2018 WGC-Mexico Championship was the 43^nd of his career.
• Ranks ninth all-time in PGA TOUR victories, two behind Walter Hagen (8^th).
• Will be making the 587^th official start of his PGA TOUR career.
• Missed the cut in his first three starts at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier (2011, 2012, 2013) before finishing T20 in 2017.

 

Bubba Watson

Greenbrier resident Bubba Watson returns to A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier for the fifth time, as he seeks his 13^th win on the PGA TOUR and fourth of the season.

• Three wins this season: Genesis Open, World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play Championship, Travelers Championship.
• Will be making his fifth start at The Greenbrier (T70-2017, T13-2015, T16-2014, T30-2013).
• First 14 scores were in the 60s at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier before closing 75-72 in 2017.

 

Additional Player Notes

• The 2018 PLAYERS Championship winner Webb Simpson finished solo-third in 2014 for one of three top-10 finishes at The Greenbrier (MC-2010, T9-2011, T7-2012, T41-2013, 3-2014, MC-2015, T14-2017).
• With eight top-10 finishes in 2017-18, Brian Harman sits atop the list with Dustin Johnson and ranks 20^th in the current FedExCup standings.
• Norman Xiong, who grew up in San Diego and honed his game through The First Tee, makes his professional debut at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier. Xiong turned professional after his sophomore season at the University of Oregon, having captured both the Haskins and Nicklaus Awards as the top Division I male golfer in 2017-18.
• Tony Finau, who finished T5 at the U.S. Open, is 11^th in the FedExCup standings with a total of six top-10 finishes in 2017-18. Finau ranks third in Driving Distance at 315.3 yards.
• Oakmont Country Club head professional Devin Gee is in the field as a PGA Section Champion.
• A T2 in 2015 represents Kevin Kisner’s only made cut in five starts at The Greenbrier, missing the cut in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2017. The two-time PGA TOUR winner (2015 RSM Classic, 2017 Charles Schwab Challenge) has finished second seven times on TOUR.
• Charles Howell III (T9-2010, T32-2011, MC-2012, MC-2013, T52-2014, MC-2015, T45-2017) played all 72 holes in 2010 without a bogey, the first on TOUR and not win since Bubba Watson at Tucson in 2006.
• Sam O’Dell earned a spot in the field as the 2017 West Virginia Amateur champion, an event he also won in 2013 and 2015. The 39-year-old dentist missed the cut in the 2015 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier with rounds of 68-72, his only PGA TOUR start.
• Growing up in Kermit, West Virginia, there were two constants in Davey Jude’s life: sports and the coal business. Gov. Jim Justice, who also has had sports and the coal industry as two central factors in his life, extended a sponsor’s exemption to the former Marshall University golfer. The tournament has been entrenched in Jude’s life since its inception. After doing volunteer work and caddying in the pro-am in 2010, he had the honor of going through a practice round with PGA TOUR players after receiving State Player of the Year honors as a senior at Tug Valley High School in 2011. After winning the Dixie Amateur on Dec. 22, 2016, Jude turned professional and relocated to Jupiter, Florida. In January, he earned his first victory on the Minor League Golf Tour, posting 70 ( -1) at Martin Downs Country Club. The 24-yearold will make his PGA TOUR debut in West Virginia.
• Stuart Appleby closed the inaugural A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in 2010 with a 59 to record the  last of his nine PGA TOUR victories. Here’s the list of sub-60 scores on the PGA TOUR:

 

Name	Event/Round/Score	Par	Finish
Al Geiberger	1977 FedEx St. Jude Classic/R2/59	72	Won
Chip Beck	1991 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open/R3/59	72	T3
David Duval	1999 CareerBuilder Challenge/R4/59	72	Won
Paul Goydos	2010 John Deere Classic/R1/59	71	2
Stuart Appleby	2010 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier/R4/59	70	Won
Jim Furyk	2013 BMW Championship/R2/59	71	3
Jim Furyk	2016 Travelers Championship/R4/58	70	T5
Justin Thomas	2017 Sony Open in Hawaii/R1/59	70	Won
Adam Hadwin	2017 CareerBuilder Challenge/59	72	2

 

Miscellaneous Notes

• Number of players with all four rounds in the 60s at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier: 2010 (46), 2011 (0), 2012 (14), 2013 (7), 2014 (8), 2015 (22), 2017 (13).
• Scoring average comparison: 2010 (68.536), 2011 (70.593), 2012 (69.781), 2013 (69.868), 2014 (70.101), 2015 (69.179), 2017 (69.861).
• Course record: 59, Stuart Appleby (final round, 2010) Best opening-round score: 61 (Sebastián Muñoz)
• Best 36 holes: 126 (Jeff Overton, 2010).
• Best 54 holes: 192 (Jeff Overton, 2010).
• Tournament 72-hole record: 258 (Stuart Appleby, 2010).
• Out of the 28 rounds played by the previous seven champions of A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, the only winner with a round in the 70s is Scott Stallings in round one (70) in 2011.
• Largest margin of victory: 2 strokes (Jonas Blixt/2013, Angel Cabrera/2014).
• Best come-from-behind win in final round: 7 strokes (Stuart Appleby/2010).

 

Open Championship Qualifying Series

The road to the 147^th Open Championship at Carnoustie winds its way to A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, with spots available for the top four finishers (not otherwise eligible). In addition to A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, other PGA TOUR events in the Series include the Quicken Loans National (four spots awarded to Ryan Armour, Sung Kang, Abraham Ancer and Bronson Burgoon) and John Deere Classic (one spot).

 

Additional Notes The Old White TPC

• The Greenbrier’s original of three courses, the re-named The Old White TPC, will host A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier for the eighth time since 2010. Originally designed by Charles Blair MacDonald in 1914, The Old White TPC has been restored to its original design by Lester George since the inaugural tournament in 2010. In addition to the restoration, the course now measures 7,286 yards, an increase of 255 yards from 2010.
• After the flood of 2016, the golf course was closed and completely restored by noted architect Keith Foster. While the routing plan and hole concepts were retained, every green complex was rebuilt. New grasses were introduced to the greens, fairways and bunkers faces, while trees were selectively thinned to reintroduce unbelievable views and sight lines not seen for decades.
• Lee Trevino (no longer in role) became The Greenbrier’s third Golf Professional Emeritus in 2015, taking over for Tom Watson who held the position since 2005. World Golf Hall of Fame member Sam Snead, the winningest player in PGA TOUR history, was the resort’s pro for 29 years and served as Golf Professional Emeritus from 1993 until his death in 2002.
• The adjacent Greenbrier Course, built in 1924, renovated by Jack Nicklaus in 1977 and currently being reworked by Phil Mickelson, has played host to several professional golf events over the years, including the 1979 Ryder Cup (the first time players from continental Europe competed in the event, rather than just Great Britain & Ireland; the U.S. won) and the 1994 Solheim Cup (U.S. won). From 1985-87, The Greenbrier hosted a Champions Tour event, the Greenbrier American Express Championship, won by Don January (1985, ‘86) and Bruce Crampton (‘87).   

 

The Greenbrier Resort

• The Greenbrier is an award-winning resort located in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia.
• As a National Historic Landmark, The Greenbrier’s classic architecture, interior design, scenic beauty and excellent amenities have hosted distinguished guests from around the world since 1778.
• The Greenbrier offers 721 rooms, guest/estate houses and more than  50 recreational activities, including three golf courses, indoor and outdoor tennis courts and a 40,000-square-foot spa.

 

How A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier was won in 2015

Danny Lee defeated David Hearn with a par-5 on the second extra hole (No. 17) to win A Military Tribute at The

Greenbrier in 2015. Robert Streb and Kevin Kisner dropped out of the playoff on the first extra hole (No. 18) when Hearn and Lee both made birdie-2. Lee, who entered the final round T5 and one behind four co-leaders, won the third playoff in tournament history (2011/Scott Stallings, 2012/Ted Potter, Jr., 2015/Danny Lee).

 

How A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier was won in 2014

Billy Hurley III, who held the outright second- and third-round lead at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, entered the final round with a two-stroke cushion over two-time major championship winner Angel Cabrera, but it was Cabrera who stole the show with a 6-under 64 (including a hole out for eagle from 176 yards on the par-4 13^th hole). The 44-year-old native and resident of Cordoba, Argentina closed with weekend rounds of 64-64 to finish 16-under 264, two strokes clear of George McNeill.

 

How A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier was won in 2013

In the final round of a Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, Jonas Blixt fired a third-consecutive 67 to eliminate a fourshot deficit at the beginning of the day to Johnson Wagner, winning his second TOUR title (2012 Frys.com Open) by two strokes over Wagner, Steven Bowditch and Matt Jones.  He became the second international player to win the event, joining 2010 champion Stuart Appleby.

 

How A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier was won in 2012

Ted Potter Jr. entered the final round in 2012 trailing Webb Simpson by four strokes, but posted a 6-under 64 (including a eagle-birdie finish) to end regulation tied with Troy Kelly (66) at 16-under 264. Potter then birdied the third playoff hole (the par-3 18^th) for his first-career PGA TOUR win. It marked the second playoff at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier (2011).

 

How A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier was won in 2011

Playing in the final group and entering the final round trailing Anthony Kim by one stroke, PGA TOUR rookie Scott Stallings carded a final-round 1-under 69 at the 2011 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier and then birdied the first extra hole to defeat Bill Haas and PGA TOUR veteran Bob Estes in a playoff. His first TOUR win came in his 21^st career start.

 

How A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier was won in 2010

Stuart Appleby shot a bogey-free 11-under 59 in his 381^st TOUR start to win the inaugural A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier by one stroke over Jeff Overton, joining Al Geiberger, Chip Beck, David Duval and Paul Goydos as the only players (at that time) to post a sub-60 round on the PGA TOUR, with he and Duval the only ones to perform the feat in a final round. Appleby played the final 39 holes without a bogey, ending the week with just one overall.

 

A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier Preview via PGA TOUR