The Wells Fargo Championship has been a very popular tournament these last few years as it features the ever popular Quail Hollow Country Club and many great performances including Rory Mcilroy’s record breaking performance a couple of years ago. The leaderboard is full of popular players except for the surprising Scott Gardiner.
Others on the leaderboard include Phil Mickelson, D.A. Points and Zach Johnson. If Gardiner pulls off the victory on Sunday then it will be the second time Australia wins this year with Adam Scott winning The Masters a few weeks ago. Gardiner has only made the cut three times this year. His best finish was tied for 15th at the first tournament of the year which was the Sony Open. His other two best finishes were tied for 73rd at the Farmers Insurance Open and tied for 50th at the AT&T Pebble Beach.
It’s ironic how he played solid golf at the first tournament of the year and then fades away the rest of the year and now everyone is wondering who he is. If he pulls off the victory then it will be great comeback story and another great story for Aussies in the sport. After years of going back and forth between winning and losing with talents such Robert Allenby, Scott, and Jason Day, Australian players look to make an impact this year and if Gardiner pulls off the victory then that will be a huge sign especially with the consistent Day, still hungry for that major title.
This could be a big year for Australian golf in a world where the U.S. and South Africa have dominated the sport for years. It’s going to be really exciting to see how Gardiner plays the rest of the way. One thing that he has been solid at is his ability to hit from the bunkers, he’s top 100 in Sand Save Percentage and that’s what he has that can help him win on Sunday. Yes, there are other players in the field that have better Sands Save Percentages but Gardiner is feeling it right now.
Phil Mickelson, a guy who is pretty much an all-around threat on the course as he still drives the ball far, has solid accuracy and is still one of the best short game players to ever hit the links. If Mickelson’s recovery ability stays solid then that will be a plus for him in this tournament and future tournaments. His stats have been terrific so far this year and he is number one in Birdie Average which will play a huge role if he wants to get his second win this season. He’s the best on Tour on Par 3’s and is great on Par 5’s with the Par 4’s being his weakest area although he still ranks 11th on Tour in Birdie Average on Par 4’s. His advantages on Par 3’s are huge and if there’s one thing that will help him win, it’s if he continues to play well on par 3’s. He’s already proven he’s still a terrific putter when he’s heating up which he tends to do at tournaments and lights up like a microwave. His chances of winning at Quail Hollow are through the roof but again it will be interesting to see how Gardiner does under pressure.
Rory Mcilroy is in the mix and he’s very good at Quail Hollow but can still make his share of mistakes but he, like Mickleson, can heat up at an alarming rate but then again Mcilroy has had a fairly quiet season. He can still turn it around however and Quail Hollow is the place for him to do that. He’s a bomber off the tee and can his some great recovery shots and is a solid enough putter to finish with a strong score.
Nick Watney is also playing well and also has a chance to win this weekend at Quail Hollow as he is one of the best on Tour at hitting the greens in regulation with accuracy and that will be a definite advantage for him compared to other players. He’s also a fairly good hitter off the tee and has been for a few years. At one point he was considered the future of American golf but other great American players have emerged as well such as Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar and Kevin Streelman. Not to mention Chicago native D.A. Points has been quietly terrific this year. Keegan Bradley was supposed to be that guy after having a great 2011 and 2012 but has dropped off a bit in 2013. Overall, this should be another exciting Wells Fargo Championship and Quail Hollow looks just as awesome as ever.