Quicken Loans National Preview
By Casey Bannon on June 22, 2016The grind does not stop, as the PGA tour moves from one US Open venue to another for the Quicken Loans National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. Located just outside the nation’s capital, the 7,569- yard par 71 course will offer a proper test to all in this Tiger Woods hosted tournament.
The last time the Quicken Loans national visited the Blue course at Congressional, it held the field to a 72.546 scoring average, with Justin Rose prevailing at only 4 under. The blend between length, elevation change, rough, and hazards make this a tournament few would like to play the week after a US Open. In all, 33 players who competed at Oakmont last week will test their luck at Congressional.
Rain on Wednesday and parts of Thursday could make the course a bit more playable as it did in 2011 when Rory McIlroy won the US Open with a record 16 under score. After that, however, weather should not be a factor into the weekend.
The Favorites
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Jim Furyk- Furyk tied for 2nd in last weeks Open and just so happens to have a caddy on the bag who is a member at Congressional. Nobody knows those greens better than Fluff.
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Bill Haas- Haas won here in 2013 and has quietly shown formidable form as of late dating back to The Players. With a limited field he is one of the more experienced here this week.
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Rickie Fowler- Yes his form is terrible, however Rickie could be dangerous if he simply makes the cut. He is still the best player in the field despite his struggles lately.
The Sleepers
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Kevin Chappell- A wonderful ball striker, Chappell finished 3rd here in the 2011 Open. When he gets hot, he gets super hot as evidence by his 29 on the back 9 at The Players.
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Kevin Streelman- He has a newfound life after improving his putting and it’s shown in his finishes: Top 10 at the Memorial and was top 10 for most of the Open last week. He hits a lot of greens in regulation, which bodes well for him here.
My Pick
Patrick Reed- Two things Patrick Reed likes: Hard golf courses and humidity. He will have both of those this week. He loves to hit a hard draw, something this course rewards, and all his wins in the past have come on long and difficult golf courses. He is leading the tour in top 10’s and I’d expect nothing less this week.
Tags: Bethesda Maryland, bill haas, Congressional Country Club, jim furyk, kevin chappell, kevin streelman, patrick reed golf, PGA tour, Quicken Loans National, rickie fowler, rory mcIlroy, US Open
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