Without even blinking, the folks who run the Wyndham Championship will stand in front of a pack of reporters and tell everyone they don't care who wins this week's golf tournament. They will tell you it is not about who wins, but the event itself, the chance for a community to come together for seven days and enjoy a little golf.
In journalism circles, there is a name for these people.
Liars.
Ask yourself this question: If Gavin Coles and Rocco Mediate are battling down Sedgefield's back nine Sunday with the Sam Snead Cup in the balance, who would you root for?
We thought so.
There's no cheering in the media tent, but you can root for the best story. Here, then, are six good story lines - any one of which we'd like to see hoisting the Sam Snead Cup next Sunday.
Davis Love III
In Love's eyes, he is the defending champion - not Brandt Snedeker. Love didn't get a chance to defend his 2006 title last year because of a last-minute decision to have kidney stones removed. Love is a UNC grad who is in danger of not qualifying for the FedEx Cup playoffs. Nobody is expecting him to win this week - which would make his victory all the more special.
Rocco Mediate
Rocco didn't need his gutsy showdown with Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open to become a fan favorite in Greensboro. His two previous titles here had already earned him a loyal following. If Mediate finds himself in one of the last groups on Sunday, Sedgefield will be packed. Mediate is accurate off the tee and a solid iron player - two strengths to have when playing Sedgefield - so it just might happen.
David Duval
Remember when all the talk was whether Tiger Woods could rival Duval as the world's No. 1 golfer? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Duval, now ranked No. 812 in the world, has reshaped his priorities in the past decade. He's just as content at home with his family as he is on a golf course. Still, a win this week would do wonders for his career.
Brandt Snedeker
There hasn't been a repeat winner in Greensboro since Sam Snead - who else? - 52 years ago. Who better than Snedeker, last year's champ, to follow in Snead's spikes? Snedeker has an infectious enthusiasm for the game and a healthy respect for its past. He's struggled this year, but he's very creative around the greens, a must at Sedgefield.
Drew Weaver
Last year's British Amateur champ is playing in his last PGA Tour event of the summer. He's already played in the Memorial and the AT&T National. Weaver, who lives in High Point, loves amateur golf. Indeed, he's playing in next week's U.S. Amateur in Pinehurst. But that could change if he were to shock the field this week.
Vijay Singh
Can we get serious here for just a minute? Vijay's not exactly warm and fuzzy with the fans. More like cold and precise. And, honestly, there's nothing compelling about the odds-on favorite winning this week's Wyndham except this: He has to come back next year.
Contact Robert Bell at 373-7055 or robert.bell@news-record.com
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