SBS Championship Preview

The 2010 PGA Tour kicks off in Kapalua, Hawaii with the SBS Championship – a tournament only open to players who won an event on the 2009 PGA Tour. The small field will compete for a prize fund of $5,600,000 and Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy defends the title.

Geoff Ogilvy defends
Fergus Bisset
By
published

Lowdown: The 2010 PGA Tour kicks off in Kapalua, Hawaii with the SBS Championship - a tournament only open to players who won an event on the 2009 PGA Tour. The small field will compete for a prize fund of $5,600,000 and Australia's Geoff Ogilvy defends the title. For this year's tournament, Seoul Broadcasting Systems (SBS) has taken over from Mercedes as the title sponsor and a strong line-up will compete for the $1,120,000 winner's cheque and 500 FedEx Cup points - a great chance to get a head start on the pack. All four of last year's Major winners are in the 28-man field as are Steve Stricker and Paul Casey. Designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, the stunning Plantation Course at the Kapalua Resort opened for play in 1991. It's a reasonably open and forgiving layout but can bear its teeth if the wind blows. If conditions stay benign, expect to see some super-low scoring.

Venue: The Plantation Course, Kapalua Resort, Maui, Hawaii Date: Jan 7-10 Course stats: par 73, 7,411 yards Purse: $5,600,000 Winner: $1,120,000 Defending Champion: Geoff Ogilvy (-24)

TV Coverage: Thursday 7 - Live on Sky Sports 1 from 8pm Friday 8 - Live on Sky Sports 2 from 11pm Saturday 9 - Live on Sky Sports 2 from 11pm Sunday 10 - Live on Sky Sports 1 from 11pm

Player Watch: Steve Stricker - Three times a winner in 2009, "Strick" was second in this event in 2008. He seems to have the ability to make a fast start to the season. Geoff Ogilvy - Last year's winner has the ability to overpower any field when he's on his game. He clearly likes the course here and will rightly be among the favourites. Retief Goosen - Has shown signs of returning to form and a win here would be the perfect kick-start to his season. He's twice finished in the top five in this tournament.

Key hole: 18th. The closing hole at Kapalua is a striking downhill par-5 measuring 663 yards. Despite its length, it's reachable in two because of the slope and the prevailing wind. Expect some enormous drives on this one - 400 yards plus.

Skills required: Making birdies. In 2003 Ernie Els finished the event at an amazing -31. The winning total at Kapalua always tends to be well into double figures under par - Geoff Ogilvy won last year with a -24 total.

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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