The Course
Plainfield CC is a classic Donald Ross design, opening for play in 1916 and is widely regarded as one of the best tracks in the US. Over the last ten years, the course has gone through an extensive restoration and renovation program under the guidance of architect Gil Hanse. Hanse removed roughly 1,200 trees to improve lines of sight on the course. He also discovered bunkers that were routed in Ross's original design, but had been grown in over the last century's worth of play. Hanse and his team restored the bunkers to bring back the feel of earlier Ross design features. Among the more notable setup changes, the course will now play as a par 70 (34/36), as opposed to 2010 when it played as a par 71. Holes four, five, sixteen and eighteen have all had their yardages changed, which should help the course in its defense against the PGA's top players. In 2010, the course played a little over two shots under par on average, which was easily the lowest average score among tour venues. The players will not tear the course up like they did in 2010, but it will still yield plenty of birdie opportunities and make for an exciting tournament.
Let's take a look at the players I think will fare the best this week. As always, I use a Point Per Dollar approach to these rankings, concentrating on players who I think have a great chance to win the tournament, or exceed their salary value.
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