Greenbriar Classic Notes 2012

Dates: July 2-8, 2012

Where: The Old White TPC; White Sulphur Springs, WV

Par/Yards: 34-36—70/7,274

Field: 156;

Format: 72-hole stroke play

Purse: $6,100,000;

Winner’s Share: $1,098,000;

FedExCup points to winner: 500

Defending Champion: Scott Stallings

Twitter: @GbrClassic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGreenbrierClassic

How the Greenbrier Classic 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 1-under 69 during the final round of the 2011 Greenbrier Classic and then birdied the first extra hole to defeat Bill Haas and PGA TOUR veteran Bob Estes. His first TOUR win came in his 21st career start.

More on Scott Stallings

Was one of 16 (18 wins) players in their 20s to win on TOUR in 2011.

Was one of 16 first-time winners on TOUR, including six rookie winners (Stallings, Jhonattan Vegas, Charl Schwartzel, Brendan Steele, Keegan Bradley and Chris Kirk.

Victory came in his first-ever playoff on the PGA TOUR and in his first start at The Greenbrier Classic.

Eventually finished No. 57 in the FedExCup standings.

Battled injuries in sophomore season, with freak injury early in 2012 causing cartilage to detach from his ribs.

He will be making his 17th start of the season (just four made cuts) and is still in search of his first top 10.

Has top-25 finishes this season at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions (T22) and the Memorial (T25).

2011 Greenbrier Classic final results Rank Player 72-hole Score
1 Scott Stallings 70-65-66-69—270 (-10)
2 Bob Estes 69-72-65-64—270 (-10) Bill Haas 71-67-65-67—270 (-10)
4. Andres Romero 71-69-66-65—271 (-9) Brendon de Jonge 66-67-72-66—271 (-9) Cameron Tringale 70-67-67-67—271 (-9) Jimmy Walker 69-72-62-68—271 (-9) Gary Woodland 65-70-67-69—271 (-9)

How the Greenbrier Classic was won in 2010
Stuart Appleby shot a bogey-free 11-under 59 in his 381st TOUR start to win the inaugural Greenbrier Classic by one stroke over Jeff Overton, joining Al Geiberger, Chip Beck, David Duval and Paul Goydos as the only players 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.

More on Stuart Appleby

Appleby’s win at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic helped him finish No. 52 in the final FedExCup standings.

Played his last 39 holes in 2010 without a bogey, ending the week with just one overall.

Enters the 2012 Greenbrier Classic No. 154 in the FedExCup standings, with six made cuts in 14 starts

Like Stallings, searching for first top 10, with two top 25s (Travelers Championship/T18, Honda Classic/T21).

Will be making his third start at The Greenbrier Classic (1-2010, MC-2011).

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2010 Greenbrier Classic final results Rank Player 72-hole Score
1. Stuart Appleby 258 (-22)
2. Jeff Overton 259 (-21)
3. Brendon de Jonge 263 (-17)
4. Woody Austin 265 (-15) D.A. Points 265 (-15) Paul Stankowski 265 (-15) Roger Tambellini 265 (-15) Jimmy Walker 265 (-15)

Inside The Field FedExCup and the Greenbrier Classic

Through the AT&T National, four of the top 10 in the FedExCup standings are committed to The Greenbrier Classic, including Tiger Woods (No. 1), Phil Mickelson (8), Webb Simpson (9) and Carl Pettersson (10).

This year’s field features four of the five FedExCup champions: Tiger Woods (2007, 2009), Jim Furyk (2010), Bill Haas (2011). Only 2008 champion Vijay Singh is missing.

A glance at the field

13 of the top 25 in the FedExCup standings through the AT&T National.

Two of the top 5 players in the Official World Golf Ranking: Tiger Woods (4), Webb Simpson (5) and seven of the top 25: Steve Stricker (13), Phil Mickelson (15), Dustin Johnson (16), Keegan Bradley (23), Bill Haas (25).

Both past Greenbrier Classic champions: Stuart Appleby (2010), Scott Stallings (2011).

2012 PGA TOUR winners: Ben Curtis (Valero Texas Open), Bill Haas (Northern Trust Open), John Huh (Mayakoba Golf Classic), Carl Pettersson (RBC Heritage), Dustin Johnson (FedEx St. Jude Classic), Marc Leishman (Travelers Championship), Phil Mickelson (AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am), Webb Simpson (U.S. Open), Brandt Snedeker (Farmers Insurance Open), Johnson Wagner (Sony Open in Hawaii), Tiger Woods (Arnold Palmer Invitational, Memorial Tournament, AT&T National).

Woods leads the field with 74 PGA TOUR wins, followed by Phil Mickelson (40), Tom Watson (39), Vijay Singh (34), Davis Love III (20), Jim Furyk (16), Kenny Perry (14), Steve Stricker (12), Justin Leonard (12).

Tiger Woods makes debut at The Greenbrier Classic

Tiger Woods will make his 286th career start on the PGA TOUR in his first-ever appearance at The Greenbrier Classic. A victory in West Virginia would give him at least one win in 17 different states (has 67 stateside wins).

Recently won the AT&T National for his 74th career PGA TOUR victory at the age of 36 years, 6 months and 2 days in his 285th (271st professional) career start on TOUR. The 74 victories helps him surpass Jack Nicklaus for second all-time on the PGA TOUR, trailing only Sam Snead (82).

With victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Memorial Tournament and AT&T National, becomes first three-time winner this season, passing the other two multiple winners: Hunter Mahan (World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, Shell Houston Open) and Jason Dufner (Zurich Classic of New Orleans, HP Byron Nelson Championship).

Has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Memorial Tournament and AT&T National in the same season twice in his career (2009 and 2012).

Has won 74 out of 271 (27.3 percent) professional starts on the PGA TOUR.

Erik Compton

two-time heart transplant recipient, Erik Compton has been nothing but consistent at The Greenbrier Classic, finishing T73 in 2010 and 2011.

He has made 11 of 16 cuts during his rookie season on TOUR, but is still in search of his first top-25 finish of the season.

Compton has been promoting his partnership with Donate Life America – urging people to sign as organ donors (http://www.donatelife.net).

Jim Furyk

Will be making his second Greenbrier Classic start, finishing T9 in 2010 with rounds of 68-65-67-66.

The 2010 FedExCup champion is seeking his 17th PGA TOUR victory.

Making second start (finished T34 at the AT&T National) since heartbreaking U.S. Open performance where he held a share of the 36-and 54-hole leads before finishing T4.

Dustin Johnson

Winner of the 2012 FedEx St. Jude Classic is making his debut appearance at The Greenbrier Classic.

Johnson leads the current list of players under the age of 30 with three or more victories on TOUR: Dustin Johnson (6), Sean O’Hair (4), Anthony Kim (3), Rory McIlroy (3), Webb Simpson (3). Of that group, Johnson, O’Hair and Simpson are scheduled to tee it up at The Greenbrier Classic.

Phil Mickelson

His win at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am was the 40th of his career, moving him to ninth in all-time PGA TOUR wins, surpassing Cary Middlecoff and Tom Watson. Walter Hagen is eighth with 45.

In 2012, owns a win (AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am), runner-up finish (Northern Trust Open), third-place finish (Masters) and fourth-place finish (Shell Houston Open).

Missed the cut in his debut appearance at the 2011 Greenbrier Classic.

Kenny Perry

Kentucky native making his 624th TOUR start, with 14 wins, 10 runner-up and 12 third-place finishes.

T29 at the Transitions Championship the best of his three made cuts on 2012 PGA TOUR (four starts).

Won his second-career Champions Tour title earlier this year (ACE Group Classic).

Webb Simpson

Just two weeks removed from his win at The Olympic Club, U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson will be making his third start at The Greenbrier Classic (MC-2010, T9-2011).

He is seeking his fourth-career TOUR win.

Justin Thomas

Amateur Justin Thomas will be making just his second start in a PGA TOUR event (T78 – 2009 Wyndham Championship). The rising sophomore at the University of Alabama will receive the 2012 Haskins Award, reserved for the nation’s top collegiate golfer, at a banquet on Monday night sponsored by Stifel Nicolaus, Golfweek and the Greenbrier. Among Thomas’ achievements this year:

Jack Nicklaus Award winner, given to nation’s top collegiate player by Golf Writers Association of America

Phil Mickelson Award winner, given to nation’s top freshman

Southeastern Conference Player and Freshman of the Year

First-team All-American led his team to the final match in the NCAA Championship (lost to Texas, 3 & 2).

Among school records set: most wins in rookie season (4), scoring average record (70.44).

Just the third Alabama player to capture medalist honors at the SEC Championship, also leading the Crimson Tide to the team title.

Won individual medalist honors at the NCAA Regionals, leading team to 25-stroke win and the team title.

Tom Watson

Tom Watson missed the cut at the 2011 Greenbrier Classic with rounds of 75-71. It was his first non-major start since the 2007 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, where he partnered with son Michael and finished T19.

Watson owns 39 wins, 32 second-place and 23 third-place finishes in his PGA TOUR career (602 starts).

Owns 14 wins, 21 second-place and eight third-place finishes in 154 Champions Tour starts.

At the 2011 British Open, the then 61-year-old Watson (T22) posted his 69th top-25 finish in a Major.

Became The Greenbrier’s second Golf Professional Emeritus in 2005.

Miscellaneous Notes

Three players in The Greenbrier Classic field captured the Nationwide Tour event held between 2004 and 2009 at the Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport, WV: D.A. Points (2004), Jimmy Walker (2007) and Tom Gillis (2009).

Two players finished inside the top 10 in each of the first two Greenbrier Classics: Brendon de Jonge (3rd-2010, T4-2011) and Jimmy Walker (T4-2010, T4-2011).

Charles Howell III (T9-2010, T32-2011) played all 72 holes at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic without a bogey, the first player to do so and not win since Bubba Watson at the 2006 Chrysler Classic of Tucson.

The Old White TPC played significantly tougher last year compared to its debut hosting appearance in 2010. At the inaugural Greenbrier Classic, 46 players posted all four rounds in the 60s. Last year, there were none. In 2010, the cumulative scoring average was 68.536, compared to 70.593 last year.

In 2012, victors have come back from deficits of:
8 – Kyle Stanley Waste Management Phoenix Open
7 – Brandt Snedeker Farmers Insurance Open
7 – John Huh Mayakoba Golf Classic
6 – Phil Mickelson AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
6 – Marc Leishman Travelers Championship

20-year-old Patrick Cantlay, who turned professional at the Travelers Championship after two years at UCLA, will be playing The Greenbrier Classic for the first time. It will be his sixth start of the year, three as an amateur and three as a professional. His best finish is a T41 at the U.S. Open.

Rank Player Earnings For British Open Entry

The top two players, not previously eligible, from a cumulative money list taken from THE PLAYERS and five TOUR events (THE PLAYERS, FedEx St. Jude Classic, U.S. Open, Travelers Championship, AT&T National and The Greenbrier Classic), will gain entry into the 2012 British Open, culminating with this week’s event. Last year, Travelers Championship winner Fredrik Jacobson ($1,260,264) and FedEx St. Jude Classic champion Harrison Frazar ($1,058,436) gained entry into the British Open. Below are the current standings through AT&T National:
1 Marc Leishman $1,150,675
2 Michael Thompson $718,412
3 John Merrick $616,440
4 Charley Hoffman $586,593
5 Jhonattan Vegas $552,021

Additional Notes The Old White TPC

The Greenbrier’s original of three courses, the re-named The Old White TPC, will host the third Greenbrier Classic. 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 Greenbrier Classic in 2010. In addition to the restoration, the course now measure 7,274 yards, an increase of 243 yards from 2010.

Tom Watson became The Greenbrier’s second Golf Professional Emeritus in 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 and renovated by Jack Nicklaus in 1977, 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.

Weekly Entertainment

In addition to championship golf, the Greenbrier will play host to numerous activities during the week of the Greenbrier Classic at a new amphitheater built at the WV State Fairgrounds. The concert series is open to any anyone who has purchased a weekly badge and includes:

Toby Keith and Lionel Ritchie on Wednesday, July 4

Rod Stewart and The Fray on Friday, July 6

Bon Jovi on Saturday, July 7.

Source: PGA TOUR