Establishment (Davis Love III) vs. Youth (Jeff Overton)

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GREENBRIER: Matchups | Rankings | Inside the Field | The Course | Tee Times

One of the themes for the 2011 PGA TOUR season is the competition involving the younger players and the established ones. How will the veteran players -- those with significant TOUR experience and long-standing championship pedigree -- fare against the hungry up-and-comers who are looking to nudge their way into the TOUR's elite?

Each week, PGATOUR.COM will select two players 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.

For The Greenbrier Classic, we've selected Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III and Jeff Overton. Love has played on six Ryder Cup teams, and despite his captain duties, is in position to qualify for the team again in 2012.

Overton was a star of the 2010 Ryder Cup team, but his resume lacks the wins that will move him up the 2012 Ryder Cup points list. Overton seemed to have his first TOUR win wrapped up last year at The Greenbrier Classic, but Stuart Appleby shot a final-round 59 to edge him by a shot.

ESTABLISHMENT AGE: 47 YEARS ON TOUR: This is Davis Love III's 19th season on the PGA TOUR. OVERVIEW: By the time players reach the age where they are selected as a Ryder Cup captain, the sun has usually set on their playing careers. That is not the case for Davis Love III, who has set a goal of qualifying for the Ryder Cup team he'll captain at Medinah Country Club in 2012. "You shouldn't have to put anything on the back burner if you're organized, and there's really nothing other than business decisions to be made," Love said in a press conference before the John Deere Classic. "There's nothing to take you away from playing golf tournaments and working on your golf game." HISTORY IN THIS EVENT: Love finished tied for 60th in the 2010 Greenbrier Classic, shooting four consecutive sub-70 rounds -- 68-66-69-69. OUTLOOK THIS WEEK: Love's last win came at the 2008 Childrens Miracle Network Classic, his 20th on TOUR. He has played very well in his last three events, finishing tied for 11th at the U.S. Open, tied for 12th at the John Deere Classic and tied for 9th at the British Open. At 47, he's still one of the longer players on TOUR, and is ranked 12th in Greens in Regulation. Opponent Jeff Overton was one of the strongest U.S. performers in the 2010 Ryder Cup, going 2-2, but he is currently behind Love in team standings (Overton is 27th, Love is 8th). Overton will have to start beating the captain if he hopes to make the team in 2012.   YOUTH AGE: 28 YEARS ON TOUR: This is Jeff Overton's sixth year on the PGA TOUR. OVERVIEW: No player was closer to a win on the PGA TOUR in 2010 than Jeff Overton. He finished second three times -- the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the HP Byron Nelson Championship and The Greenbrier Classic. He also had two third-place finishes -- the Crowne Plaza Invitational and the AT&T National. Overton's strong play allowed him to make his first Ryder Cup team, and took him all the way to the final stage of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, THE TOUR Championship. HISTORY IN THIS EVENT: Even though 2010 Greenbrier Classic champion Stuart Appleby shot a historic final-round 59 to beat Overton in last year's event, Overton still had many chances to win. He shot rounds of 64-62-66 in the first three rounds, but then three-putted three times for a final-round 67 to miss a playoff with Appleby by a shot. OUTLOOK THIS WEEK: The Old White TPC has undergone a restoration this year make it 200 yards longer, and will allow for firmer greens and tighter fairways. The changes shouldn't bother Overton, however. He has three top-10s this year, and has improved his Total Driving rank this year from 106th to 44th. He's also bettered his rank in Ball Striking from 106th to 80th. He's riding a bit of a hot streak, finishing in a tie for third at the AT&T National three weeks ago and tied for 38th in the British Open two weeks ago. This might just be the week Overton finally gets his first win on TOUR.

Here are the results of the previous matchups this year

Score/Finish Tournament   Score/Finish   Steve Stricker 20 under (T-4th) Hyundai TOC Dustin Johnson 14 under (T-9th)   Ernie Els 4 under (T-42nd) Sony Open Jason Day 8 under (T-20th) Stewart Cink 5 under (MC) Bob Hope Classic Bubba Watson 7 under (MC) Davis Love III 5 over (MC) Farmers Insurance Open Rickie Fowler 5 under (T20) Angel Cabrera 7 under (T-49th) Waste Management Phoenix Jhonattan Vegas 2 under (MC)     Padraig Harrington 2 over (T63) AT&T Pebble Beach National Dustin Johnson Even (T55) Jim Furyk 1 under (T35) Northern Trust Open Louis Oosthuizen 3 over (T62)     Vijay Singh 9 over (MC) The Honda Classic Anthony Kim 7 over (MC) Luke Donald 11 under (T6) WGC-Cadillac Championship Jhonattan Vegas 2 under (T31)   Sergio Garcia 7 under (T15) Transitions Championship Matteo Manassero 6 under (T20)   Phil Mickelson 1 under (T24) Arnold Palmer Invitational Graeme McDowell 9 over (MC)     Fred Couples Even (T60) Shell Houston Open Gary Woodland 10 under (T13) Tiger Woods 10 under (T4) The Masters Martin Kaymer 6 over (MC)   Justin Leonard 2 under (T30) Valero Texas Open Anthony Kim 7 over (MC)     Jim Furyk 5 under (T21) The Heritage Jason Day 7 under (T9) David Toms 7 under (T18) Zurich Classic of New Orleans Brandt Snedeker 2 over (MC)   Phil Mickelson 10 under (T9) Wells Fargo Championship Bubba Watson 3 under (T48)     Tiger Woods Withdrew THE PLAYERS Championship Charl Schwartzel 6 under (T26) Paul Goydos 5 under (T10) Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Jason Day 3 under (T31)     Vijay Singh 5 over (T27) HP Byron Nelson Championship Nick Watney 1 over (T8)   Jim Furyk 8 over (MC) the Memorial Tournament Bubba Watson 1 under (T42)   David Toms 5 over (MC) FedEx St. Jude Classic Camilo Villegas 8 under (3)   Ernie Els 6 over (MC) U.S. Open Graeme McDowell 2 under (T14)   Padraig Harrington 4 under (T63) Travelers Championship Aaron Baddeley 11 under (T24) K.J. Choi 11 under (2nd) AT&T National Adam Scott 9 under (T3)   Stewart Cink 3 under (MC) John Deere Classic Louis Oosthuizen 3 under (MC)   Tom Watson 6 over (T22) British Open Bubba Watson 9 over (T30)     Mike Weir (WD) RBC Canadian Open Matt McQuillan 5 over (T31)