Through its first six years, The Greenbrier Classic has yet to crown a repeat champion, but several of the past winners of the PGA Tour FedExCup event, played on The Old White TPC Course at The Greenbrier, appear to be at the top of their games as the 2016 Greenbrier Classic approaches.
“Our champions quickly become part of our family, and we take pride in their achievements long after they lift the trophy,” said Monte Ortel, executive tournament director, The Greenbrier Classic. “We love to see them do well, and we love to see them come back and compete in The Greenbrier Classic.”
Stuart Appleby, who won the inaugural Greenbrier Classic in 2010, hasn’t won a PGA Tour event since finishing off that 22-under tournament with a final-round 59. Appleby, though, has played in 12 events this season and made the cut seven times. After a slow start to the year, he’s made the cut in five of his last seven tournaments, including a tie for 11th with a 10-under total at The Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which ended Monday.
A back injury kept Appleby out of the 2015 Greenbrier Classic, but he’ll be back on The Old White TPC July 4-10 looking to add to his recent success.
Scott Stallings, the 2011 Greenbrier Classic champion, has also been hot in recent weeks. After a string of six straight missed cuts, Stallings finished tied for 13th at 7-under at the Valero Texas Open, and he followed that with an even better finish at his most recent event, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, finishing tied for 11th at 10-under-par.
Stallings’ last win came at the 2014 Farmers Insurance Open, where he beat five golfers, including Jason Day, by one stroke. It was his third PGA Tour victory, along with the 2012 True South Classic and the 2011 Greenbrier Classic.
Stallings finished tied for 67th with at 3-under in last year’s Greenbrier Classic and will try to improve on that finish this year.
Jonas Blixt won the 2013 Greenbrier Classic for his second PGA Tour victory and followed that up by tying for second at the 2014 Masters. That helped Blixt move to a career-best 33rd in the World Golf Rankings.
He’s struggled some recently, falling to 129th in the World Golf Rankings, but he’s made the cut in eight of 15 events this season, including three top 25s. His best finish was third at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February.
Blixt opened with a 66 at the 2015 Greenbrier Classic but followed that up with a 73 and missed the cut. He’ll be looking to make the weekend this time around.
Danny Lee, last year’s champion, has built on the momentum from his first PGA Tour victory and has climbed to No. 42 in the most recent World Golf Rankings.
Lee finished out 2015 with three more top 5 finishes following his Greenbrier Classic victory, and picked up where he left off in 2016. He’s made the cut in 12 of 15 events, including three top 25 finishes.
The status of 2012 Greenbrier Classic champion Ted Potter, Jr. is still to be determined. The Florida native played competitively for the first time since July of 2014 last week, attempting a comeback after a broken ankle derailed his career.
Potter played well at the Web.com Tour’s United Leasing & Finance Championship in Newburgh, Ind., finishing 5-under-par to tie for 14th. He’s hopeful that if the progress continues he will be on the course for the 2016 Greenbrier Classic, the site of his biggest golfing achievement, his first and only PGA Tour victory.
The most accomplished golfer to win The Greenbrier Classic, 46-year-old Angel Cabrera, is still going strong. The two-time major champion (2007 U.S. Open, 2009 Masters) has made eight cuts in 12 events this season, including a tie for 24th at The Masters.
The Argentine couldn’t follow up his 2014 Greenbrier Classic championship last season, missing the cut at The Greenbrier Classic in his second appearance.