Four-shot Win Boosts Right At Hole

Golf Betting Lines

Avenel was developed over 220 acres in Potomac, Maryland's rolling countryside, just minutes away from famed Congressional Country Club. The course is a perfect stadium golf facility, designed for hosting a PGA Tour event.

 

Beginning in 1987, the PGA Tour began its run at Avenel with the Kemper Open, where former U.S. Open champion Tom Kite was a runaway winner by seven over Chris Perry and Howard Twitty. The following year, Kite lost in a playoff to Morris Hatalsky, as Mo-Cat sank a five-foot par putt for the win. The 1980s were completed with a Tom Byrum five-shot win over three players for his first and only PGA Tour title.

 

Two shots behind Bobby Wadkins with one round to play, Mark Brooks carded his fourth straight round in the 60s to clip Wadkins and D.A. Weibring by three shots in 1994. Lee Janzen defeated Corey Pavin with a 12-foot birdie on the first extra hole to capture the 1995 tournament. Janzen, who shot four rounds in the 60s, won the last playoff in the event's storied history.

 

One shot off the pace with one round remaining, Steve Stricker carded his fourth straight round in the 60s to post a three-shot victory over four players in 1996 with his wife Nicki on the bag. Justin Leonard won for the second time in his career when he captured the 1997 Kemper Open. Leonard, who opened with three straight 69s, closed with 67 to defeat Mark Wiebe by one. Nick Faldo, Nick Price and Greg Norman finished three behind.

 

For the second straight year, a first-time winner was crowned, as Tom Scherrer came from two behind on Sunday to post a two-shot win in 2000. Scherrer was the only player to post all four rounds in the 60s. When Frank Lickliter won in 2001, he became the ninth player in the last 19 years to make this tournament his first PGA Tour victory. The 2001 event was completed on Monday for the first time due to inclement weather.

 

Rory Sabbatini returned to the winner's circle for the first time in three years, as he closed with back-to-back 68s for a four-shot win. With his victory, Sabbatini became the fourth player in the last five years to either hold or share the 54-hole lead and go on to victory. The 2003 event changed names to the FBR Capital Open.

 

The 2006 event returned to Avenel and Ben Curtis, three years removed from his British Open title, endured six days of inclement weather to capture his second career title. Curtis' total of 264 was one shy of the tournament record and he won by five shots over four players. Rain and lightning plagued the event from start to finish, as this event was the first Tuesday climax since the 1980 Tucson Open. Curtis, who hit 83.3 percent of the fairways for the week and led from start to finish, had a chance to break the tournament mark, but a bogey-bogey finish ended his chances.

 

REVIEW: The opening hole at the TPC at Avenel is a sharp, dogleg-right par four of just 393 yards. However, don't be misled, as the tee shot plays uphill to a fairway that is protected on either side by long bunkers. A medium to short iron will remain after a successful tee ball to one of the smallest greens on the course, just 32 paces deep. Any shot offline and to the right will be gobbled up by a difficult bunker. An opening par is not a bad way to start.

 

Aesthetically, the fourth is one beautiful hole, with a lake left and tall trees right. Scoring-wise, you better be on your toes. Although the fairway is very wide, it slopes from right to left and any ball hit towards the left will most certainly end up wet. A play down the right will set up a medium iron to a well-guarded green. The putting surface slopes from back to front, with sand left and deep and a grass hollow to the right. Talk about pinpoint accuracy.

 

The fifth is a fun, short par four that bends to the left with a myriad of traps down both sides of the fairway. The real key here is finding the right distance to layup from the tee with either a fairway metal or a long iron. Your approach will be downhill to a difficult green that features a ridge in the center of the 33-yard deep surface. Three very deep bunkers dot the circumference of the green, along with a chipping area to the right.

 

The dogleg-right, par-four seventh is a gem, stretching 461 yards from the back buttons. A blast of over 220 yards is required just to reach the elevated fairway. The wide fairway is accessible, but beware of the 35-yard long trap to the left of the landing area. A medium iron should be enough to get home to the slightly-downhill green. The putting surface is wide and long with sand short and deep. A back-right flag with the wind in your face could be one of the most difficult shots on the course.

comments

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•    @andytoots I jest, of course. Been in France with only a dog for a few days. She's unappreciative of my brilliant gags.

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•    @mmitchelldaviss oh and you would pic the one day I'm never at Ceasar's Creek to go there. #Fail

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•    @oc_esthi no I don't, I WISH I did. We have a creek behind my office with ducks, and I love them.

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•    Of course!! @libertyswarrior U da man! Xo!

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•    Akirah earned the achievement Iron Dwarf, Medium Rare (10 player) for 10 points. #wow

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•    the thoughts going through my head right now...*smirks*

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•    School... Its a love hate relationship. Wishing I was at a resort in Cozumel right about now :( had to much fun this weekend with my family

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•    Don't really feel like goin out. But life is short. Yoiu never know what's gon happen who u gon meet. So ima iron my shirt

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