Power Rankings: World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions

text size

In just a few years, the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions has grown into arguably the biggest tournament on the Asian continent, and the 2009 field is loaded with seven of the top 10 players in the world.

For the fourth consecutive year, the event will be played at Sheshan Golf Club. Think of it as TPC Sawgrass without the island green, with a little bit of Augusta National thrown in. Some of the Ginkgo trees that line the course are 1,000 years old, and the course features plenty of water and greens that run close to 12 on the Stimpmeter. The rough is expected to be thicker this year due to heavy overseeding, which will make last year's winning score of 14 under hard to match, especially if the weather remains dry.

The course measures just short of 7,200 yards, with a long and wide-open front side (3,649 yards) coupled with a shorter and tree-lined back side.

The course's main defense system lies within its severely sloped greens, which 2007 champion Phil Mickelson calls "some of the most difficult greens to putt" in the world. Adds Henrik Stenson: "If you miss it on the wrong side, [you're in] big trouble."

Power Rankings: World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions

Rank Player   Comment Tiger WOODS The world No. 1 is coming off a dominating run at The Presidents Cup, where he went undefeated in five matches. In his six events since missing the cut at the British Open, Tiger has just one finish outside the top two. Phil MICKELSON He won this event in 2007 in a playoff after squandering a five-shot lead with only nine holes to go. It was Mickelson's first victory outside the United States in 14 years. Mickelson played well last week in Singapore, tying for 14th. Anthony KIM Kim has shown some flashes of brilliance this fall. He played very well at The Presidents Cup and made it to the finals of the Volvo World Match Play Championship last week. A win would salvage a disappointing year. Padraig HARRINGTON The Irishman finished mid pack in the Singapore Open, but his all-around game is well-suited to this course: He tied for 11th last year. He finished his '09 season on TOUR with six consecutive top-10 finishes. Oliver WILSON Wilson battled neck-and-neck with Garcia last year in this event, making only three bogeys in 72 holes. Wilson's worst finish in a World Golf Championships event this year? A tie for 11th. Henrik STENSON Stenson held the 18-hole lead last year after an opening 65, but he fell on the weekend and tied for fifth. Stat I like: The last two HSBC champions (Garcia, Mickelson) also won THE PLAYERS the same year. Three-peat? Ian POULTER His combination of straight driving and reliable putting makes him a threat, so it was surprising that his victory last week in Singapore was his first since 2006. He tied for 14th in this event last year after shooting a final-round 68. Sergio GARCIA The Spaniard's victory here last year propelled him into the second spot in the Official World Golf Ranking. Garcia exited early from the Volvo World Match Play last week, but that shouldn't be a concern. Retief GOOSEN The South African's swing is back to normal after repairing a flaw that appeared during The Presidents Cup. Since then, he has reeled off top-10s in Portugal and Malaysia. A win would cap a huge comeback year. Geoff OGILVY Completely unpredictable. He won twice early in '09 on the PGA TOUR, but he struggled until the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. He was one of only three players to shoot 70 or better in all four rounds at Sheshan last year.