Quicken Loans National Preview 2018

2018 Quicken Loans National pre-tournament notes Dates: July 25-August 1

Where: TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm
Par/Yards: 70/7,107
2017 champion: Kyle Stanley
Purse: $7,100,000/$1,278,000
FedExCup: 500 points to the winner
Format: 72-hole stroke play
Field: 120
Twitter: @QLNational

Field by the numbers

• This is the 12th year of the tournament (est. 2007)
• Four of the top 30 in the FedExCup standings, led by Rickie Fowler (16), Chesson Hadley (18) and Marc Leishman (20)
• Eight of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, led by Rickie Fowler (8), Francesco Molinari (17) and Marc Leishman (18)
• Five winners during the 2017-18 PGA TOUR Season: Ryan Armour, Billy Horschel, Andrew Landry, Ted Potter, Jr. and Gary Woodland
• Six past champions: Kyle Stanley (2017), Billy Hurley III (2016), Troy Merritt (2015), Bill Haas (2013), Tiger Woods (2009, 2012) and Nick Watney Nick Watney (2011
• Four major winners: Tiger Woods (14), Stewart Cink (1), Geoff Ogilvy (1) and Jimmy Walker (1)
• Three former PLAYERS Championship winners: Si Woo Kim (2017), Rickie Fowler (2015) and Tiger Woods (2000, 2013)

Race for the FedExCup

• 35th of 44 events in the PGA TOUR regular season
• In nine of 11 years, the winner of the Quicken Loans National has qualified for the TOUR Championship, the final event of the FedExCup Playoffs that crowns the FedExCup champion: Kyle Stanley (2017), Justin Rose (2010, 2014), Bill Haas (2013), Tiger Woods (2009, 2012), Nick Watney (2011), Anthony Kim (2008), K.J. Choi (2007)
• After winning the Quicken Loans National in 2009, Tiger Woods went on to win his second FedExCup title
• Three FedExCup champions are in the field: Billy Horschel (2014), Bill Haas (2011), Tiger Woods (2007, 2009)

A look back at the 2017 Quicken Loans National

• Kyle Stanley, who began the final round four shots back, defeated Charles Howell III with a par on the first extra hole
• The victory was the second of Stanley’s career in his 179th start at the age of 29 years, 7 months, 13 days
• The four-shot comeback was the largest in tournament history (previously: 3, Justin Rose/2014, Anthony Kim/2008)
• Stanley’s winning score of 7-under was the highest score to par by a winner during the 2016-17 season

TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm

•  Fourth-hardest course on the PGA TOUR in 2016-17 with an average score to par of 1.458-over
• Only Quail Hollow (PGA Championship), Augusta National (Masters Tournament) and Royal Birkdale (Open Championship) had higher average scores in 2016-17
• Par-4 11th was the most difficult hole on the PGA TOUR in 2016-17 with an average score to par of 0.521-over
• The 2017 Quicken Loans National was the first to be played at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, but the 2012 and 2013 Mid-Atlantic Championship on the Web.com Tour were contested at the course (2012 winner David Lingmerth is in the field this week)

Players as Stars

Tiger Woods Entering this week

• #61         FedExCu
• #82         OWGR
• 6              Starts at Quicken Loans National
• 2              Wins at Quicken Loans National
• 338         PGA TOUR starts
• 79           PGA TOUR wins
• 10           PGA TOUR starts in 2017-18
• 2              Top-fives in 2017-18
• 79 wins; most recent: 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
• Best 2017-18 results: T2/Valspar Championship, T5/Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard
• Making first start at Quicken Loans National since 2015 (T18)
• Won the event in 2009 and 2012
• Is the only winner of the Quicken Loans National to go on to win the FedExCup in the same season (2009)
• Fourth on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green (0.992) and Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (0.575)

 

Rickie Fowler Entering this week

• #16         FedExCup
• #8           OWGR
• 6              Starts at Quicken Loans National
• 2              Top-threes at Quicken Loans National
• 210         PGA TOUR starts
• 4              PGA TOUR wins
• 14           PGA TOUR starts in 2017-18
• 2              Runner-up finishes in 2017-18
• Wins (4): 2017 The Honda Classic, 2015 Dell Technologies Championship, 2015 THE PLAYERS Championship, 2012 Wells Fargo Championship
• Best 2017-18 results: 2nd/OHL Classic at Mayakoba, 2nd/Masters Tournament, T4/Sentry Tournament of Champions
• Quicken Loans ambassador
• Shot a final-round 65, including a career-best nine birdies, to finish T3 and two shots out of the playoff in 2017
• Runner-up in 2015
• Has played 146 holes without a three-putt, the fifth-longest active streak on TOUR

Kyle Stanley Entering this week

• #34         FedExCup
• #38         OWGR
• 5              Starts at Quicken Loans National
• 1              Win at Quicken Loans National
• 205         PGA TOUR starts
• 2              PGA TOUR wins
• 17           PGA TOUR starts in 2017-18
• 3              Top-fives in 2017-18
• Wins (2): 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open, 2017 Quicken Loans National
• Best 2017-18 results: P2/the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, T5/WGC-HSBC Champions, T5/WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
• Began the final round of the 2017 Quicken Loans National four shots back before defeating Charles Howell III with a par on the first extra hole
• Largest final-round comeback in tournament history (previously: 3, Justin Rose/2014, Anthony Kim/2008)
• Finished 74th in his first title defense on the PGA TOUR (2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open)

Local Ties Billy Hurley III

• Born in Leesburg, Virginia, and graduate of the United States Naval Academy (Annapolis, Maryland)
• Winner of the 2016 Quicken Loans National, his lone PGA TOUR victory to date
• Best 2017-18 result: T25/Sanderson Farms Championship

Denny McCarthy

• Native of Takoma Park, Maryland, and graduate of Georgetown Prep (Bethesda, Maryland) High School and University of Virginia
• Playing first full season on the PGA TOUR; secured his card for the season with a 12th-place finish on the 2017 Web.com Tour Finals money list
• 20 career TOUR starts (17 in 2017-18), with best result coming at the 2018 Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship (4th)

Quicken Loans National tournament records

• The 54-hole leader/co-leader has won six of 11 Quicken Loans Nationals (Billy Hurley III/2016, Troy Merritt/2015, Bill Haas/2013, Nick Watney/2011, Justin Rose/2010, Tiger Woods/2009)
• Largest margin of victory: 3, four times (Billy Hurley III/2016, Troy Merritt/2015, Bill Haas/2013, K.J. Choi/2007)
• Playoffs: 2 (Kyle Stanley def. Charles Howell III/2017, Justin Rose def. Shawn Stefani/2014)

Tournament record: 266 (Troy Merritt/2015) 18-hole record: 61 (Troy Merritt/R3/2015)

• *2017 was the first year the tournament was played at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm