Tiger Woods is playing in his first Greenbrier Classic. He’s having a good season, with three top-ten finishes and two wins. Tiger’s most recent win was the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago, which tied him with Jack Nicklaus for second on the PGA tour wins list.
Tiger was also in the hunt early on at the US Open. He was tied for the lead after two rounds.
Phil Mickelson is another big name competing at the Greenbrier Classic. He only missed one cut in 2011 and that was at the Greenbrier. Mickelson’s won once this year and finished in the top ten five times. He’s tied for ninth on the PGA tour career wins list with 40.
Stuart Appleby won the first Greenbrier Classic in 2010 and also shot a historic 59 in the final round. Last year, he failed to make the cut on the Old White course. Appleby has had his share of ups and downs this season. He has made six of fourteen cuts so far this year. His best finish came this past week at the Travelers Championship where he finished tied for 18th.
Webb Simpson won the US Open two weeks ago. His first win of the 2012 season jumped him up to fifth in the World Golf Ranking, one spot behind Tiger Woods. Simpson’s putting has been excellent and he ranks second on the PGA tour in 2012 in putting efficiency. He had success at the Greenbrier last year, finishing ninth. However, he missed the cut in 2010.
Scott Stallings is the defending Greenbrier Classic champion. He beat out Bob Estes and Bill Haas in a playoff to win the tournament. This year, he has struggled to make cuts. Stallings has played the weekend just four times in 16 events. His best finish this season was in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions when he tied for 22nd in January.
Jim Furyk will be making his second appearance at the Greenbrier Classic. In the 2010 tournament, he finished tied for 9th. 2012 has been a great year for Furyk as he has made 13 cuts in 14 tournaments and is 18th in the FedEx Cup Standings. Most recently, he is coming off a tie for fourth finish at the U.S. Open.
Dustin Johnson has four top ten finishes in 2012, including a win at the FedEx St. Jude Classic earlier this month. He is known for his long driving and averages 303 yards per drive. It will be the first Greenbrier Classic appearance for Johnson.
Jimmy Walker had success at the Greenbrier in the past. He’s tied for fourth in both of the previous Classics. Walker’s best performance was an eight-under 62 during the third round of last year’s event to get towards the top of the leaderboard. Walker already finished in the top ten at three tournaments this year.
Brendon De Jonge is another guy with past success at the Greenbrier. He’s finished third (2010) and tied for fourth (2011) in his Classic appearances. De Jonge comes in hot after making the top-ten at the Travelers Championship last weekend. Being a Virginia Tech graduate, De Jonge has a strong following at the Greenbrier. He leads the PGA tour in cuts made this year.
Marc Leishman may not be as familiar to some leisure golf fans as other big names at the Greenbrier Classic. He won the Travelers Championship this past weekend and has another top ten finish on the year. He has only missed the cut twice in 15 events this year. Leishman has played in both previous Greenbrier Classics. Last year, he tied for 16th and missed the cut in 2010.
JB Holmes smashes the ball. He’s fifth on the PGA tour in driving distance at 306.35 yards per drive this year. Holmes led that category at 318.41 yards last year. He’s played in both of the previous Greenbrier Classics, missing the cut last year and finishing 16th in 2010.
Rocco Mediate is best known for losing to Tiger Woods in a sudden death playoff at the 2008 US Open. Since, then he’s won just one tournament. Mediate played at the previous two Classics. He finished 21st at the inaugural Greenbrier Classic and missed the cut last year.