Crowne Plaza Invitational 2015: Tee Times, Dates, TV Schedule, Prize Money
Fresh off the heels of a dominating performance by world No. 1 Rory McIlroy in the Wells Fargo Championship, the PGA Tour now moves to Fort Worth, Texas, for the Crowne Plaza Invitational.
McIlroy won't be in attendance this week, and that will open things up for world No. 2 Jordan Spieth as he looks to keep pace with the Northern Irishman. Spieth wasn't on top of his game during his last start, missing the cut in The Players Championship. However, he is well-rested entering a tournament played in his hometown.
While Spieth may be playing in a familiar setting, victory won't be easy at the difficult Colonial Country Club.
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Arguably one of the most difficult stops on the PGA Tour, the 7,204-yard par 70 is highly demanding. Complete with tree-lined fairways, sharp doglegs, wiry Bermuda grass, large water hazards and fluctuations in elevation uncommon in the Fort Worth area, both accuracy and consistency are necessary keys to success.
Will Spieth join the likes of Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and other legends who have notched wins at Colonial, or will another player in a highly talented field steal the show? As we anxiously await the tournament to commence, let's take a look at its essential viewing information, prize money and some notable Thursday tee times.
2015 Crowne Plaza Invitational
Dates: Thursday, May 21 - Sunday, May 24
Where: Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas
Purse: $6.5 million (winning share: $1.17 million)
FedEx Cup Points: 500 to winner
TV Info:
- Thursday and Friday: 4-7 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
- Saturday and Sunday: 3-6 p.m. ET, CBS
Notable Thursday Tee Times
| Kevin Kisner | 8:22 a.m. |
| Kevin Na | 8:22 a.m. |
| Chris Kirk | 8:44 a.m. |
| John Senden | 8:44 a.m. |
| Robert Streb | 8:55 a.m. |
| Zach Johnson | 8:55 a.m. |
| Boo Weekley | 8:55 a.m. |
| Patrick Reed | 9:06 a.m. |
| Adam Scott | 9:06 a.m. |
| Sean O'Hair | 9:28 a.m. |
| Charlie Hoffman | 1:23 p.m. |
| Ian Poulter | 1:34 p.m. |
| Jimmy Walker | 1:45 p.m. |
| Jordan Spieth | 1:56 p.m. |
| Hunter Mahan | 1:56 p.m. |
| Steve Stricker | 1:56 p.m. |
| Shawn Stefani | 1:56 p.m. |
| Ryan Palmer | 2:07 p.m. |
| Paul Casey | 2:07 p.m. |
Full tournament tee times can be viewed at PGATour.com.
Stars to Watch
Spieth's hot hand has been relentless since late in the 2014 season. The world's No. 2 golfer has won four times—including his first major—racked up two runner-up finishes and four top-10 finishes while missing just two cuts since late November of last year. Unfortunately, he's coming off one of those early exits.
The 21-year-old phenom struggled at TPC Sawgrass, posting a 75 and 72 en route to a three-over finish through 36 holes, missing the cut by three shots. During an interview with Randall Mell of GolfChannel.com, Spieth attributed his poor form to swing issues, saying there was "something going on with my swing that I’m not comfortable with."
After a week of rest, Spieth will attempt to find his form in front of his hometown crowd. He shared his thoughts on the upcoming stretch of Texas tournaments during an interview with Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News:
"I obviously put expectations on myself this year for these events, as I do every year. That's not a negative thing. That's positive. I focus as if they're major championships—and that's how I approach them ahead of time.
There's nothing better than playing well in front of your hometown family and friends. I'm going to try and do a little bit better this year than I have in the past couple of years, but still obviously can very much enjoy what it means to come back with the green jacket, but try and enjoy that off the course.
"
Spieth has the accuracy and consistency necessary to do well at Colonial, and the fact that he prepares for the tournament as if it's a major should help him get his swing back on track. If that's not enough, playing in front of plenty of family and friends should make for some fantastic motivation.
World No. 12 Jimmy Walker will be a name to watch at Colonial. The 36-year-old Baylor graduate has plenty of experience playing in Texas' conditions, and that's likely to pay dividends this week.
According to Weather.com, Fort Worth is expecting some unfavorable conditions during the Crowne Plaza Invitational. On each day of the tournament, high percentages of precipitation and winds in excess of 12 mph will make a difficult golf course that much more treacherous. Lots of experience in those Texas elements should give Walker a big advantage.
We'll see which Walker shows up in Fort Worth, as he's been rather inconsistent of late—he missed the cut in The Players Championship and finished no better than tied for 31st in five of his last six starts. However, he did emerge victorious in the Valero Texas Open—his second win of the year—which should help his confidence on another Texas track.
Another Texan to keep an eye on at Colonial is Ryan Palmer. The world No. 28 has put together a bit of a roller-coaster season, missing two cuts—most recently in The Players Championship—but also notching two top-10 finishes and a runner-up. He fared well in Texas earlier this season, finishing tied for sixth in the Valero Texas Open.
Palmer has plenty of experience playing in Texas. He's a native of Amarillo and played golf for both the University of North Texas and Texas A&M. He's a local of the Fort Worth area and has seen plenty of action at Colonial—this year will mark his 12th consecutive appearance at the course. Palmer finished tied for fifth in both 2012 and 2014 and shot a 62 in the 2013 opener at the Crowne Plaza Invitational.
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