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The 2007 Funai Classic at Walt Disney World Resort will
mark the 37th year of the PGA Tour event in Orland. The
tournament was founded in 1971 as the Walt Disney World Open
Invitational. From 1974 to 1981, the tournament was played
as a two-man team event with a better-ball format. The Classic
will be played on two of Disney's finest courses, The
Magnolia Course and The
Palm Course.
Beginning with a three-peat by Jack Nicklaus in 1971, 1972,
and 1973, this PGA event continues to bring the best players
in the world to Disney, including past champions Tiger Woods,
Vijay Singh and Mark O'Meara.
The Funai Classic is part of the PGA Tour's Fall Series
as of 2007. The tournament is one of the player's favorites
because of the location in Orlando, Florida. This is one stop
on the PGA Tour where you will see many of the player's families,
most of which will be enjoying the parks in Disney.
The Magnolia is the longest of the Disney courses.
Designed in classic TOUR-style, the wide fairways invite you
to hit the ball, and hit it hard! But beware, 11 of the 18
holes boast water, and 97 bunkers dot the landscape and guard
sizeable, undulating greens.
In 1993, 23 years after opening, the Magnolia received a refreshing
face-lift. Course architect Lee returned to redesign all 18
greens and the main putting green. The putting surfaces, which
had lost their shape through years of routine maintenance,
were restored to their original condition. Aside from the
greens, Lee had teeing areas realigned to their original form.
Purse: $4,600,000
Winning Share: $828,000
Palm Course Yards: 6,957 / Magnolia Course Yards: 7,516
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Hole #1
Avoid the trees to the left. Position off tee is all important.
Green is large. Pin position right is toughest.
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Hole #2
Don't flirt with the right side. Plenty of room left.
Green with five sand bunkers is testy. Lower left pin
is a sucker pin. Play for the middle of the green. |
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Hole #3
A fine short par 3 - usually 6 or 7 iron, depending on
wind. It's a hole you think "2" -- but one bad
swing, and you've made a 4! |
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Hole #4
Need to hit good, solid drive to go for green in two.
When going for green, avoid long sand bunker left. If
you lay-up, use mid iron to leave a full wedge approach.
Don't let all the sand bunkers scare you!
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Hole #5
Play this hole with a cut driver. Downwind, I use a 3-wood.
Important to be in fairway, which makes approach shot
straight forward to a well-bunkered green.
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Hole #6
Famous home of Mickey Mouse sand bunker! Solid par 3,
requiring mid to long iron shot. Avoid Mickey and two
side sand bunkers for best result. |
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Hole #7
This is not a difficult hole, if you avoid the water
hazard left. The wind and subtle pin placements make
it difficult at times to get ball close to hole with
second
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Hole #8
From pro tee, this hole is extremely tough to reach in
two. Hit a solid drive and 3 wood to leave a short iron
or wedge to a sloping green. Staying below the hole gives
you best chance for birdie. |
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Hole #9
Excellent Par 4. Requires long drive to leave a mid to
long iron approach to a large green that is penalizing
if you miss left. I'll take par here any time! |
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Hole #10
I've had my share of luck here. Eagle in '83 pushed me
to victory. After a good drive, green is very reachable
with wood or long iron. Hit it high to hold smaller green.
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Hole #11
One of the easier holes, if you put the ball in the fairway.
Only way to take a big number is to mis-hit shot into
water off the tee or around the green.
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Hole #12
Par 3 that plays slightly shorter than yardage. Play for
middle of green. Difficult up and down from anywhere,
if you miss the green.
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Hole #13
Position tee shot anywhere in fairway with driver or 3-wood,
depending on wind conditions. Leaves short iron or wedge.
Green has more undulation than most on Magnolia.. |
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Hole #14
Tee shot not very difficult. Being a three-shot hole for
me, I find avoiding water on left for second shot critical.
Back right pin position slopes away from fairway, making
it difficult to get shot close for birdie. |
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Hole #15
Very good hole, played with long iron to an elevated,
undulated green, which makes chipping or pitching very
difficult. I won the 1986 Golf Classic here in playoff
with par. |
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Hole #16
Keep tee shot left center off the tee to allow for a better
approach to green. The large green allows you to be aggressive,
knowing that 17 and 18 yield limited birdies. Trust your
yardage - it looks shorter and plays longer. |
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Hole #17
The most dangerous hole on the course. Tee shot over water,
then a long mid-iron to a well-protected narrow green.
Give me a 4 here and I'll run to 18! |
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Hole #18
Demanding driving hole, with a well-protected green. Beware
of water right, it can come into play. Par is good here
anytime. |
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