Feb. 8, 2009
By PGATOUR.COM staff
The first group will soon tee off in today's final round of the Buick Invitational. Here's how it sets up:
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| Groups We're Watching |
1:35 pm ET
(10:35 am local) |
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John Rollins, Camilo Villegas, Nick Watney
Can Villegas bounce back after giving up the lead? Can Rollins keep on rolling to his third victory? Or can Watney upset them both at soggy Torrey Pines? Track 'em
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12:15 pm ET
(9:15 am local) |
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Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen, Robert Garrigus
Mickelson needs a huge Sunday to salvage a disappointing week at home, while Goosen wants to finish strong in his first U.S. start of 2009. Track 'em |
11:45 am ET
(8:45 am local) |
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Bubba Watson, Lee Janzen, Aron Price
This early trio offers an intriguing contrast of styles between the awesome long game of Watson and the precision iron game of Janzen. Price can learn a lot. Track 'em |
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EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR Network on-site correspondent Bob Stevens previews Sunday's final round:
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| Sunday's forecast |
Showers
Temp: 62/high/52 low
30 percent chance of showers throughout the day. Winds will blow from the south-southwest at 9 mph. |
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Looking forward to it: If you think third-round leader John Rollins feels down about bogeying his final hole for the second straight day and runner-up Camilo Villegas is disappointed by his adventurous 74 that dropped him to three shots back, guess again. Both were remarkably upbeat after their rounds, Rollins excited about his ball-striking and Villegas still confident despite a wayward driver. The leaders are either in denial, or quietly thrilled that nobody came out of the pack to catch them.
Which is it?: I've been waiting all week for the South Course to decide whether it would be more like the U.S. Open course that Tiger Woods barely broke par on to win in June, or the Buick Invitational course he won at 18 under par four months before. Turns out it's more like the Open course, especially with the showers that blew through Saturday, making the rough very thick and wet and placing a premium on driving it in the fairway. The player that does that best on Sunday will likely succeed Tiger as Buick champ.
Mean greens: Another thing to watch Sunday is the greens, late in the day. Rollins told me on the practice green before his round that the bumpy poa annua greens are tough to read, so you just have to trust a line and be confident with your stroke. Playing in the last group, late in the day, Rocket had three three-putts in his final seven holes, negating some brilliant tee-to-green play. All of those missed short putts, he told me, were affected by the poa.
| Stat of the day |
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The 54-hole leaders in each of the first four PGA TOUR events of 2009 have gone on to win. Can John Rollins make it five in a row? He has owned the 54-hole lead three times in his career, and went on to loss a playoff at the 2003 Buick Classic, tie for fifth at Disney in 2003 and tie for 15th at the 2005 Deutsche Bank Championship. Mark Williams, PGA TOUR |
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| The Film Room |
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PGA TOUR Today
Win McMurry provides a recap of Saturday's third round and previews Sunday's final round at Torrey Pines, where the damp conditions could play a big role in the outcome. Watch it |
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Rollins is rollin'
After building a three-shot advantage on Saturday, John Rollins discussed his round and his plans for Sunday with Bob Stevens of Sirius XM Radio. Watch it |
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Can Camilo come back?
Camilo Villegas finally lost the lead on Saturday, but after his round he explained that he knows what he has to do to rally for yet another victory. Watch it |
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