FEATURE STORY

TPC Boston a worthy host course to Deutsche Bank Championship, FedEx Cup

By William K. Wolfrum,
Staff Writer

Steve Stricker was the first to make his mark on the FedEx Cup playoffs, winning The Barclays at Westchester Country Club. The four-tournament playoff continues this week with the Deutsche Bank Championship at the Tournament Players Club of Boston in Norton, Mass.

Having just celebrated its fifth anniversary, the TPC Boston is now on center stage for the PGA Tour as the best in the game come to try and continue their quest for the $10-million prize and the FedEx Cup title. Tiger Woods will make his first appearance in the playoffs at the Massachusetts course, as he tries to regain his top spot on the FedEx Cup points leaderboard.

Here's a look at TPC Boston, a place where the pros have made an annual stop since 2003.

TPC Boston

One of 21 clubs in the PGA Tour-owned TPC network, the TPC Boston was designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer and opened in 2002. TPC Boston has hosted the Deutsche Bank Championship for the past four years.

Steve Stricker wins The Barclays FedEx Cup: What about that $10 million prize? Explaining the FedEx Cup playoffs Commentary: How to fix the FedEx Cup

Measuring more than 7,100 yards, the course will play to a par of 71 for the pros. A recent renovation - led by golf course architect Gil Hanse - was given to all 18 holes, giving the course a more traditional look. Hanse's work made the course more of a shot-maker's layout, forcing players to be accurate with approach shots throughout.

"Both 16 and 17 could be really fun on television, while the 18th is loaded with trouble, but until the original green is blown up, I'm not sure how great it can be," wrote noted golf blogger Geoff Shackleford.

The TPC Boston is the seventh course in Massachusetts and only the 460th in the world to achieve the designation of a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System (ACSS), the educational division of Audubon International.

Deutsche Bank Championship history

Played every Labor Day since 2003, the Deutsche Bank Championship has been held at the TPC Boston for its entire history. It is unique in the sense that the tournament is scheduled to end on a Monday to take advantage of the Labor Day holiday.

In 2007, as part of the FedEx Cup playoff, it will have a total purse of $7 million, with $1.26 million of that going to the winner. The tournament has already had some of the biggest names in golf as winners, including Tiger Woods - the defending champion - Vijay Singh and Adam Scott. Scott holds the event record for best score, with a 20-under 264 in 2003.

August 31, 2007

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management.