Chrysler Classic of Greensboro preview: Choi has his work cut out to break Greensboro jinx

I feel very fortunate this Thursday morning, having returned barely alive from carousing in the frozen north of Britain (actually it was quite balmy) with some Scots pals. I am also fortunate because at least the huge headache I have copped as a result will go away sometime soon. For many of the competitors in this week’s Chrysler Classic of Greensboro at the Forest Oaks country club, their financial headache is likely to continue for a while yet.

Difficult to make my aching mind up whether to go for the few heavyweights or to follow the advice of the PGA Tour’s fantasy insider and “go with the desperate ones” who have been dominating the second-string events recently. An added complication is that some of those heavyweights are not-so-freshly returned from the WGC tournament in my neck of the woods.

Looking at last year’s top ten suggests an all-round game will get you a long way, but the keys are a first class short game with a hot putter at the end of it . Also, if anything, accuracy off the tee is more of an asset than distance.

That produces the following list of likely lads:

Joe Durant: finally outgunned in last week’s playoff but continues to top my all-round stats. Question is how last week’s disappointment might affect him;

Eric Axley: his figures are skewed by winning the Texas Open. He strikes me as a most unlikely two-time winner in a season;

Shigeki Maruyama: has shown tentative signs of turning round his indifferent season;

Brett Quigley: ninth in the WGC last week and two top 10s before that. His hot short game marks him out;

Justin Rose: the most infuriating English player on the planet is a definite lay for me but maybe later in the tournament as he has a habit of reaching for the sky early on;

Steve Stricker: top ten in his last four outings and looking hot to trot;

Joe Ogilvie: another regular nearly man who went from third in the Reno-Tahoe Open to missing the cut a month later in the Texas Open;

Kenny Perry: has struggled a bit after his surgery and, having rested for the best part of a month, may be a bit rusty;

Lucas Glover: 13th in the WGC last week after a 12th and 4th in his previous two competitions. Well worth considering.

As for the favourite and defending champion, I noted last week that K J Choi currently has pretty good stats. But he let me down in the WGC last week. Putting and accuracy won it for him last time and he will have to work hard on the latter this year if he is going to break the Greensboro jinx on retaining the title.

Other who look doubtful include Mike Weir, with modest stats and no course form, Davis Love III, who came a handy 4th in the WGC last week but has poor course form, Carl Pettersson, putting his Ryder Cup blues behind him but still off his best, and Tim Clark, whose 6th here last year wasn’t as impressive at it looks.

I think I’ll actually lay Weir and Ogilvie and add a couple of other reasonably-priced players low in my stats: Jonathan Byrd and Brad Faxon.

Now excuse me while I go and find some aspirin.