Ozark Invitational preview

Defending champion Darren Lundgren

Augusta National has four. So does Pebble Beach. The Old Course at St. Andrews only has two.

Westwood Hills Country Club, host of the 64th annual Ozark Invitational this weekend, features five par-3 holes along the 6,248-yard course.

"We've always said if you play Westwood's par-3s even-par you'd shoot a good number," said four-time champion Ben Godwin.

That was certainly the case for last year's champion. Darren Lundgren played the par-3s 2-over during a first-round 73 before shooting 67 round that featured just one bogey. It came on the par-3 eighth hole.

In the previous five years, the champion's card has featured at least one birdie on a par-3 hole. In 2005 when Rob Long shot a course-record 64 with seven birdies, one came on a par-3 while he played the other four even.

Pars are like birdies on Westwood's par-3s.

"That's what makes Westwood a good course," said Trent Hillis, who finished tied for sixth last year. "We have great par 3s. They're very tough."

There will be a field of 131 golfers from nine different states in town to play the two-day, 36-hole tournament. Six former champions are back, including Lundgren, as well as eight of the 12 players who finished tied for ninth or better last year.

The tournament starts at 8 a.m. Saturday after the 10-player Ozark Shootout is held Friday, starting at 3 p.m. on No. 10, one of three par-3s on the back 9.

"If you can play the par-3s close to par it will help you," said Carr Vernon, a sophomore on the Poplar Bluff High School team who finished second to Hillis at a recent 18-hole tournament here.

Hillis edged Vernon by one stroke, playing the par-3s at 1-under while Vernon shot 1-over on the same holes.

Westwood Hills, however, gets defensive for the Ozark.

"It's a lot different because of the level of competition is better and the greens are super fast," Vernon said.

Those fast greens make the par-3s even tougher.

The first par-3 is No. 3, a 177-yard hole that is the shortest at Westwood Hills. It plays slightly downhill and features a protected green with water on the left and sand on the right.

"There's no place to miss," Hillis said. "You really have to step up there and hit a good shot."

Aside from out-of-bounds markers on the right, there's nothing scary-looking about No. 8 other than the 212 yards between tee and green. The wind, however, can make it a longer shot and placing a long-iron onto a shallow landing area can be a challenge when the green is hard and fast.

"If you don't get right up next to the green, it's a tough chip," Godwin said. "It's a hard green to get up-and-down on."

Two holes later, No. 10 is another shot into the wind, this time from 195 yards with sand on either side of the green. In recent years, the lake on the back side of the green has also come into play. With the removal of some brush, a wayward ball to the left can find water by taking an unlucky bounce.

"I don't know if they've moved it (closer to the green) but they cleared it off," Godwin said of the lake. "It just stands out more."

The 142-yard 12th hole features sand in front of an undulating green while the 182-yard 16th is also protected by sand on the front and a deep drop-off behind the green.

Godwin said the key for playing the par-3s is getting on the green off the tee or keeping the ball below the hole.

"You go over any greens at Westwood, pretty much, if you're over them, you're in trouble," he said.

Jim Sides, Westwood's PGA professional, said the greens will be "Ozark quick" for the weekend. He added that more dry weather and wind this spring has them a little harder than the same time last year.

Rain, however, is in the forecast for all three days.

Tournament director Tom Hoover said the lift-clean-and-replace rule will only be used if necessary. The last time players were allowed to play the ball up was the first round of 2006.

"Playing the ball down and playing it up is a huge difference," said Ben Brumitt, who shot a second-day 69 last year. "If you can't move the ball around the way you want, it's hard to get up-and-down if you miss a green."

First-round parings for Saturday:

8 a.m.

Michael Perryman, Springfield

Mike Sissum, Dudley

Alex Vahldick, Kansas City

8:09 a.m.

Jeff Davis, Springfield

Ronnie Strong, Jackson

Jason Waddell, Poplar Bluff

8:19 a.m.

Joseph Christian, St. Louis

Justin Robinson, Cahokia, Ill.

Bill Wynn, Nixa

Chris Rahlmann, Poplar Bluff

8:28 a.m.

Travis Fitzgerald, Cahokia, Ill.

Jeff Lee, Springfield

Shad McCue, Springfield

Aron Persons, Poplar Bluff

8:38 a.m.

Schooner Fitzgerald, Cahokia, Ill.

Richard King, Fulton

Barry Stahl, Ellsinore

J.T. Thompson, St. Louis

8:47 a.m.

Mike Ivie, Poplar Bluff

Scott Kirchoff, Wentzville

Tanner McKinney, Piedmont

Scott Whittaker, Springfield

8:57 a.m.

Scott Edwards, St. Louis

David Estes, Florissant

Glenn Paulus, Lake St. Louis

Walter Powell, Springfield

9:06 a.m.

Bob Englehart, Jackson

Jamie Hathcock, Springfield

Brad Thielemier, Jefferson City

Jerrod Murphy, Poplar Bluff

9:16 a.m.

Tom Barry, St.Louis

Luke Chailland, Doniphan

Jarred Green, Silva

Chris Love, Poplar Bluff

9:25 a.m.

Lucas Black, Columbia

Craig Caringer, Palm Harbor, Fla.

Neil Vanleeuwen, Tarpon Springs, Fla.

Steve Shock, Poplar Bluff

9:35 a.m.

Tyler Berry, Poplar Bluff

Greg Ford, Paducah, Ky.

Brevin Giebler, Cape Girardeau

Tim Holmes, Springfield

9:44 a.m.

Sam Bass, Doniphan

David Johnson, Kirkwood

Tyler Stalker, Springfield

Brett McCauley, Poplar Bluff

10:03 a.m.

Wayne Fredrick, Springfield

Brian Haskell, St. Joseph

Darren Lundgren, Grover

Ben Godwin, Poplar Bluff

10:13 a.m.

Ryan Chandler, Kenton, Tenn.

Nathan Fredrick, Springfield

Jeff Johnson, Ballwin

Trent Hillis, Poplar Bluff

10:23 a.m.

Ron Mangold, Pocahontas, Ark.

Scotty McClellan, O'Fallon

Mark Monroe, Springfield

Ben Brumitt, Poplar Bluff

10:32 a.m.

Buddy Allen, Pevely

Shane Burkett, Jay, Fla.

Todd Metz, Hattiesburg, Miss.

Travis Mitchell, Springfield

10:42 a.m.

Skip Berkmeyer, St. Louis

Scott Harvey, Greensboro, N.C.

Lane Pippen, Ocean Springs, Miss.

Bobby Godwin, Poplar Bluff

10:51 a.m.

Jeff Chandler, Kenton, Tenn.

Ryne Fisher, Columbia

Jon Key, Burlington, Ky.

Tyler Hillis, Poplar Bluff

11:01 a.m.

Ben Cantrell, Cape Girardeau

Bill "Bedo" Jett, Maumelle, Ark.

Ed Walsworth, Kansas City

Rocky Walther, St. Louis

11:10 a.m.

Don Bliss, Chesterfield

Steve Groom, Raytown

Andy Smith, Kansas City

Scott Thomas, St. Louis

11:19 a.m.

Matt Murray, Overland Park, Kan.

Denny Reagan, Ballwin

Antonio Serrano, Springfield

John Shock, Poplar Bluff

11:29 a.m.

Mike Carroll, Saddlebrooke

Chris Dale, Rogers, Ark.

Derek Rahlmann, Collierville, Tenn.

Chris Montgomery, Poplar Bluff

1:38 a.m.

Rob Haik, Nixa

Chance Holden, Dexter

Bob Meeh, St. Louis

Carr Vernon, Poplar Bluff

11:48 a.m.

Tim Boyd, Eureka

Ron Eilers, Columbia

Vincent LoPiccolo, Creve Coeur

Gerald Siemons, Jefferson City

12:06 p.m.

John Bailey, Nashville, Tenn.

TIm Horne, Piedmont

Thomas Rainwater, Jackson

12:16 p.m.

Tony Brown, St. Louis

Michael Hartman, St. Louis

Robert Trittler, Wentzville

12:25 p.m.

Don Johnson, Nixa

Terry Souchek, Columbia, Ill.

Billy Pyland, Poplar Bluff

12:35 p.m.

Darrel Huisinga, Fenton

John Kueper, Carlyle, Ill.

Jeff Sarni, St. Louis

Dirk Teagarden, St. Louis

12:44 p.m.

Joe Craigmyle, Springfield

TIm Liebe, St. Louis

Tony Markham, Piedmont

Jeff Resnik, Poplar Bluff

12:54 p.m.

Charlie Adams, Newburg

Troy Bell, Poplar Bluff

Mike Morriss, Waynesville

Tanner Werner, Jackson

1:03 p.m.

Glenn Eubanks, Poplar Bluff

Sammy Gonzales, Poplar Bluff

Mike Lynch, St. Louis

Rob Burke, Van Buren

1:13 p.m.

Joe Behl, St. Louis

Brian Hall, O'Fallon

Richard Williams, Eminence

Jake Robertson, Poplar Bluff

1:23 p.m.

Ken Ozbun, Malden

Steven Souchek, Columbia, Ill.

Jacob Siwak, St. Louis

Logan MacDonald, Poplar Bluff

1:32 p.m.

Russell Brightman, St. Louis

Chase Johnston, Columbia

Jake Leonard, St. Louis

Chad Niezing, Manchester