Verizon Heritage preview: Furyk looks the deal if he beats the wind

Metal fatigue is what happens to Tiger’s irons when he whacks them against trees. Mental fatigue is what happens to everyone else after having their noses rubbed in the dirt by Augusta. And I reckon that’s a key ingredient at Hilton Head Island this week as the Masters’ walking wounded take a bit of golfing R&R.

Having said that, the short, tight Harbour Town course with its dinky lighthouse may not be such a benign place to follow the horrors of Augusta as you think. A hot tip from the weatherman Thursday is to steer clear of the those going out later in the day, with the wind forecast to whip up to near 20 mph, with gusts approaching 30mph to make things particularly hairy.

Wind aside, this is a particularly difficult event to read now it follows Augusta. Who’s shell-shocked or not? Justin Rose for instance or Geoff Ogilvy? Can Ernie Els put the horror of missing the cut behind him? Zach Johnson’s feet might be back on the ground, but has his head followed them?

I say no to Rose, because his course form suggests he doesn’t bond here, with his lack of accuracy off the tee a particular downer. Yes to Ogilvy on course and season form if he can put his mind to it. A very tentative yes to Els, because anyone who leads the putting stats and has his course form should be in with a big shout, if he can get his head back to winning ways. But a solid no to Johnson for obvious reasons.

Who else? To read most pundits this is a two-horse race.

Jim Furyk: If ever there looked to be a nailed on winner this week this is it - 13th at Augusta and second in his last two outings here. He has had some wrist trouble, but seems to be largely over that. My concern is that he has lacked that final bite this year and goes out in the afternoon Thursday when conditions look like being at their trickiest.

Davis Love III: Five times a winner here who already has a couple of top tens this season and came a creditable 27th in the Masters. However, it’s four years since Love’s last victory here and I think the balance is tipped to Furyk.

Others worth considering are, in no particular order:
Aaron Baddeley: the Easter winner last year and already a winner again this season;
Stephen Ames: top 10 in his last two outings here;
Stewart Cink: another previous winner who had a creditable Masters;
Jose Coceres: He has the ball-striking ability this course is said to favour, was ninth last year, and already has two second places this year;
Heath Slocum: He’s come close here twice and has three top tens this season;
Vaughn Taylor: Third here last year and having a half-way decent season, if only he could master closing the deal.

Just one other worthy of mention is the rookie Anthony Kim, if only because he leads my all-round stats this week.