Mar. 2, 2011
By PGATOUR.COM staff
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- One of the themes for the 2011 PGA TOUR season is the competition involving the Establishment vs. the New Breed. How will the established players -- those with significant TOUR experience and long-standing championship pedigree -- fare against the young, hungry up-and-comers who are looking to nudge their way into the TOUR's elite?
Each week, PGATOUR.COM will select two players -- one from the New Breed and one for the Establishment -- and analyze their chances heading into the tournament. We'll then track which player has the better score for his team, and keep a running team tally throughout the year.
This week for The Honda Classic, we've selected Vijay Singh of Fiji for the Establishment and American Anthony Kim for the New Breed. Both are on something of the comeback trail after dealing with injuries. The two can expect to see plenty of each other this year, and both are bidding to make their respective Presidents Cup teams for the matches in November in Australia.
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ESTABLISHMENT AGE: 48 YEARS ON TOUR: This is Singh's 19th full season on the PGA TOUR. He has won 34 times, including three majors, but his last win came in 2008. OVERVIEW: Singh is already in the World Golf Hall of Fame so his place in history is secure. But with his drive to excel, you know Singh is far from done. He's battled a nagging knee injury over the last few years that required surgery in 2009, the year after he won the FedExCup. Singh, who slipped to No. 91 in the world at the end of last season, now admits that he may have tried to come back too soon. This year, though, Singh says he's healthy and it shows. He's already finished second at the Northern Trust Open and third at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. So in just five starts this year he has matched his top-10 total for the entire 2010 season. HISTORY IN THIS EVENT: Singh is a former champion of The Honda Classic, but his win -- and one of his two runner-up finishes -- came in 1999 when the tournament was played at TPC Heron Bay. That said, he tied for second in 2005 at the Country Club of Mirasol and shared fourth last year at PGA National. So with that kind of success on a variety of courses, the big Fijian, who makes his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., has to be looking forward to The Honda Classic and the rest of the Florida swing. OUTLOOK THIS WEEK: The World Golf Championships once were automatic for Singh but he missed the Accenture Match Play Championship last week for only the second time in his career. That had to be frustrating, but he did slip into the field for the Cadillac Championship after that runner-up at Riviera boosted him from 82nd to 49th in the world. He should be rested -- and highly motivated -- so look for him to play well at The Honda Classic.
Click here for a 2011 preview of Singh |
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NEW BREED AGE: 25 YEARS ON TOUR: This is Kim's fifth full season on the PGA TOUR. He has three victories, including at last year's Shell Houston Open. OVERVIEW: Kim is one of the PGA TOUR's bright young stars but his 2010 season was cut short by surgery to repair a partially torn ligament at the base of his left thumb. He had been playing extremely well early last year, too, posting four top-10s, including a playoff win at the Shell Houston Open. But Kim finally opted for the surgery in May in hopes of being ready for the Ryder Cup. He returned to competition at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestong Invitational, where he tied for 76th, then missed his next four cuts -- and as it turned out, the Ryder Cup, as well. He finished 20th or better in his first three starts this year, including a tie for sixth at the Farmers Insurance Open, so he appears to be back on track. HISTORY IN THIS EVENT: Kim has played in three Honda Classics and finished solo second at PGA National last year. He tied the course record with a second-round 64 so he knows he can prosper there, even though Camilo Villegas blitzed the field with a five-stroke win. OUTLOOK THIS WEEK: Kim has had plenty of time off over the last two weeks so he should be rested. A bout with the flu forced him to withdraw from the Northern Trust Open and he bowed out in the first round of the Accenture Match Play Championship. His performance at PGA National last year should be a confidence boost, too.
Click here for a 2011 preview of Kim |
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| Tee times |
| First-round tee times for Singh, Kim |
Vijay Singh Will be playing with Rickie Fowler and Graeme McDowell at 12:24 p.m. ET off the first tee in Round 1. |
Anthony Kim Will be playing with Adam Scott and Stuart Appleby at 7:44 a.m. ET off the first tee in Round 1. |
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| Establishment vs. New Breed: 2011 results |
| Here are the results of the previous matchups this year |
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Steve Stricker |
20 under (T-4th) |
Hyundai TOC |
Dustin Johnson |
14 under (T-9th) |
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Ernie Els |
4 under (T-42nd) |
Sony Open |
Jason Day |
8 under (T-20th) |
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Stewart Cink |
5 under (MC) |
Bob Hope Classic |
Bubba Watson |
7 under (MC) |
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Davis Love III |
5 over (MC) |
Farmers Insurance Open |
Rickie Fowler |
5 under (T20) |
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Angel Cabrera |
7 under (T-49th) |
Waste Management Phoenix |
Jhonattan Vegas |
2 under (MC) |
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Padraig Harrington |
2 over (T63) |
AT&T Pebble Beach National |
Dustin Johnson |
Even (T55) |
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Jim Furyk |
1 under (T35) |
Northern Trust Open |
Louis Oosthuizen |
3 over (T62) |
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