Wyndham Championship preview

Lowdown: Last week, the 91st USPGA Championship provided fans with a thrilling Major finish as Tiger Woods unthinkably surrendered a final-day two-shot lead to allow little-known Korean Yong-eun Yang to become the first Asian born man ever to win a Major. This week the PGA Tour returns for the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club, and could provide equally engrossing viewing as the field battle it out in the final event before the PGA Tour Play-offs for the FedExCup. Opened in 1926, Sedgefield Country Club has played host to many world-class golfers like Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Sam Snead and Ben Hogan, who participated in the Greater Greensboro Open.   Last season, Sweden’s Carl Pettersson carded a course record nine-under-par 61 on his way to lifting the Sam Snead trophy, winning by two shots over American Scott McCarron. Both men will be back this year amongst a strong field, with a lot of FedExCup points still left to play for.

Venue: Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, North Carolina Date: August 20-23 Course stats: par 70, 7,130 yards Purse:  $5,100,000 Winner: $918,000 Defending Champion: Carl Pettersson (-21)

TV Coverage: Thursday 20 – Live on British Eurosport 2 from 7pm Friday 21 – Live on British Eurosport 2 from 7pm Saturday 22 – Live on British Eurosport 2 from 7pm Sunday 23 – Live on British Eurosport 2 from 7pm.

Player Watch: Lucas Glover – Glover is the man in form going into the Wyndham Championship, having followed up his remarkable US Open win in June with fifth at the USPGA. The American is also somewhat of a course veteran at Sedgefield, having finished inside the top 25 in his last four years in Greensboro. ‘Cool hand Lucas’ will be looking to use all of his expertise and knowledge of the course to finally lay his hands on the Sam Snead trophy, that has so far eluded him. Carl Pettersson – The defending champion has had a poor year, failing to make the cut in three out of the four Majors, leaving him a lowly 151st in the FedExCup standings and in need of a great week if he is to have any chance of making the play-offs. It would however be foolish to write off the man from Sweden, as he knows what it takes to win the Sam Snead trophy and hasn't posted higher than a 68 in his last four rounds at Wyndham. Tim Clark – The South African is another man in form. Clark has been in contention here before, having tied for sixth in two of his last three starts at Greensboro. This could be the week Clark finally captures his first PGA tour title.

Key Hole: 15th. The longest hole on the course at 547 yards, this par 5 requires an accurate downhill tee shot to avoid a small creek on the left and a large fairway bunker on the right. Aggressive golfers will need to be careful, as going for the back to front sloping green in two will require a long carry over water.

Skills Required: Emphasis must be put on ball placement on the fairway in order to get the appropriate angle to the green. The winner here will boast good fairway stats come Sunday evening. 

Where next?

Tour news: 91st USPGA Championship  Amateur news: England win 2009 Boys Home Internationals Equipment: PowaKaddy Freeway II trolley review Competitions: Win some great new golf prizes Golf blog: Chris Wood at the USPGA