Fantasy Golf: Children's Miracle Network Classic Primer

November 9, 2009 12:45pm CST

The Children's Miracle Network Classic
Disney's Magnolia & Disney's Palm Course at Lake Buena Vista, Florida
- Dates: Thursday, November 12 - Sunday, November 15
- 2009 Purse: $4,700,000 ($846,000 Winner's Share)

Tournament Schedule
First Round - Thursday, November 12 - 1pm EST on the Golf Channel
Second Round - Friday, November 13 - 1pm EST on the Golf Channel
Third Round - Saturday, November 14 - 1pm EST on the Golf Channel
Final Round - Sunday, November 15 - 1pm EST on the Golf Channel

The Course
NOTE: This week's tourney will be played over two courses.

Magnolia Golf Course
Course Par Value: 72
Course Yardage: 7,516

Built on native Florida wetlands, the Magnolia Course is the longest track among several Disney offerings at this complex. It has served as the host venue for this particular event since 1971, covering 175 acres with 97 bunkers and water throughout, found on 11 of the holes. The course was renovated in 1993, a project that created some of the most challenging greens on the Disney menu. The result is a thorough challenge any golfer will find difficult to complete with low scores.

Holes to Watch

Hole 8 (Par 5, 614 yds): The longest hole on the course, the 8th is nearly impossible to reach in two. The drive will find a slim landing area but leaving it on the fairway is a must if the second shot is going to have any hope of finding beneficial ground. Most golfers will hit 3 wood on the approach with plans of laying up to leave a wedge to get on the sloping green. The putt is daunting and pin placements will be extremely challenging.

Hole 15 (Par 3, 203 yds): The most entertaining par-3 offering on the course, the 15th offers an elevated green that will force most golfers to pull a long iron out of the bag, putting emphasis on spin and ball control. The green is a bit more contoured than most on this course, thus coming up short is as damaging as any shot coming off the tee. A playoff could be pushed to this hole (where Raymond Floyd won in 1986, and he scored par).

Palm Golf Course
Course Par Value: 72
Course Yardage: 6,957

Consistently rated among the best resort courses in the country, the Palm is considered by many to be the most challenging track on the Disney menu. The course is short but is bloated with obstacles, including nine holes daunted by water and strategic tree placements found throughout. The fairways offer little relief for those that struggle for accuracy with the driver, often lined with thick wooded areas that will kill nearly any errant effort for par. However, while the track is a stout test of golf skills, low scores are well within reach (Justin Rose broke the course record here in 2006 with a round of 60).

Holes to Watch

Hole 6 (Par 4, 412 yds): Ranked as the most difficult hole on the course, the test starts with the first swing, presenting a firm fairway with a thin landing area that leads to an approach made over a sizeable piece of water. The green is tiered and presents one of the more difficult putts on the course. Pin placements will be brutal on this hole for the professionals, but working mid-irons to the right tier on the green could present a shot at birdie.

Hole 18 (Par 4, 454 yds): Tour players rank this hole as one of the toughest finishing tracks on the schedule this season (in fact, it once ranked fourth on the PGA's survey of the toughest holes on Tour). You must put the ball in the fairway off the tee as the woods lining each side of the landing area will swallow those mistakes and make you pay. The green is lined with bunkers that will penalize any mistakes on the approach and the short grass will make any pitch falling more than six feet from the hole a challenge.

2008 Leaderboard
PLACE / PLAYER / FINAL
1 Davis Love III -25 (263)
2 Tommy Gainey -24 (264)
T3 Scott Verplank -20 (268)
T3 Steve Marino -20 (268)
5 Joe Durant -19 (269)
T6 Kevin Streelman -18 (270)
T6 Troy Matteson -18 (270)
T6 Scott Sterling -18 (270)
9 Michael Allen -16 (272)
T10 Chris Stroud -15 (273)
T10 Bob Estes -15 (273)
T10 Cameron Beckman -15 (273)
T10 Tag Ridings -15 (273)
T10 Tim Petrovic -15 (273)
T10 Robert Garrigus -15 (273)

2007 Leaderboard
PLACE / PLAYER / FINAL
1 Stephen Ames -17 (271)
2 Tim Clark -16 (272)
T3 Tag Ridings -14 (274)
T3 Robert Gamez -14 (274)
T3 Scott Verplank -14 (274)
T6 Bryce Molder -13 (275)
T6 Jeff Overton -13 (275)
T6 Justin Leonard -13 (275)
T9 Nick Watney -12 (276)
T9 J.P. Hayes -12 (276)
T9 J.B. Holmes -12 (276)
T9 Heath Slocum -12 (276)
T13 Brian Gay -12 (277)
T13 Stewart Cink -11 (277)

2006 Leaderboard (Funai Classic at Walt Disney World Resort)
PLACE / PLAYER / FINAL
1 Joe Durant -25 (263)
T2 Troy Matteson -21 (267)
T2 Frank Lickliter II -21 (267)
4 Justin Rose -20 (268)
T5 Nick Watney -19 (269)
T5 Davis Love III -19 (269)
T5 Marco Dawson -19 (269)
T5 Vijay Singh -19 (269)
T9 Jesper Parnevik -18 (270)
T9 Heath Slocum -18 (270)
T9 Jerry Kelly -18 (270)
T9 Charles Howell III -18 (270)
T9 Mark Calcavecchia -18 (270)
T14 Trevor Immelman -17 (271)
T14 Robert Damron -17 (271)
T14 Woody Austin -17 (271)

The Field

As the final tourney of the season (and thus the final chance to cash checks, the final chance to hit a competitive course, and the final chance build momentum for next season), the Children's Miracle Network Classic is set to enjoy one of the more competitive and intriguing fields this Fall Series has seen.

As a result, there are names of note that should attract your interest. Justin Leonard, Davis Toms, Stephen Ames, Davis Love III, Brian Gay, Zach Johnson, and Justin Rose represent the upper crust of the Tour, but the secondary ranks are well represented as well: Brian Davis, John Merrick, Bill Haas, Brandt Snedeker, Charlie Wi, Nick O'Hern, D.J. Trahan, Steve Flesch, Mark Calcavecchia, Marc Turnesa, Steve Marino, Jamie Lovemark, Ryan Palmer, Johnson Wagner, John Merrick, Vaughn Taylor, John Mallinger, Erik Compton, Dean Wilson, Bo Van Pelt, Scott Piercy, Chris Riley, Jonathan Byrd, Michael Letzig, Charles Howell III, Tim Petrovic, Michael Allen, Jeff Klauk, Richard S. Johnson, John Rollins, Tim Petrovic, Rich Beem, Charles Howell III, Daniel Chopra, Carl Pettersson, Briny Baird, Chez Reavie, Todd Hamilton, and J.B. Holmes.

To view the entire field, visit this link.

Enjoy.