By Greg Robertson
ESPN Golf Online
Sunday, October 1

Details
When	Thursday-Sunday
Course	Callaway Gardens Resort, Pine Mountain, Ga.
Par/Yardage	Par 72; 7,057 yards
Purse	$2.3 million (Winner: $414,000)
1999 champion	David Toms
Tournament record	21-under 267 (Davis Love III, 1997; Steve Elkington, 1998; Fred Funk, 1998)
Television	Thursday-Friday: 4-6 p.m. (ESPN) Saturday: 4:30-6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) Sunday: 5-7 p.m. ET (ESPN)

The tournament

	Hole by hole
	Hole	Par	Yards
	1	4	412
	2	5	508
	3	4	400
	4	4	397
	5	3	212
	6	4	432
	7	5	543
	8	3	178
	9	4	427
	Out	36	3509
	10	4	431
	11	5	546
	12	3	186
	13	4	367
	14	4	421
	15	5	539
	16	3	218
	17	4	408
	18	4	432
	In	36	3548
	Total	72	7057
	Key holes: The 15th is the signature hole, where a lake on the right forms inlets in front of both the tee and green, but it's a fairly simple par-5. The short 16th, however, is a bogey hole with its deep, narrow and front-sloping green. The 18th is also a difficult finishing hole with its tree-lined fairway, a fairway bunker in the landing area and three bunkers guarding the green.

The clock is ticking on the 2000 PGA Tour season, and players find themselves divided into several camps at the Buick Challenge arrives.

In one group are the elite players having great seasons. Most have light schedules planned for the remainder of the year, enjoying time off or using events like this to prepare for the Presidents Cup or Tour Championship.

In the second group are those fighting to reach the top 30 on the money list to earn a spot in the Tour Championship.

The third group features players aiming for the top 125 to maintain their playing privileges for the 2001 season.

The Buick Challenge field features a mixture of all three. At the top of the list is David Duval, the No. 3 player in the world trying to salvage a lost season. Duval is playing for the first time in nearly two months, testing a back that left him unable to play since the first round of The International on Aug. 3.

Duval, the former Georgia Tech star with a strong record in the state, will try to break an 18-month victory drought. But he'll have some other big names to contend with at Callaway Gardens.

Davis Love III, who is working on a 30-month drought of his own, holds the tournament record at this event and plays well in his home state. And Justin Leonard comes in with the hot hand, having snapped his own 30-month victory drought last week in Texas.

This is the first of five remaining events to qualify for the Tour Championship, set for Nov. 2-5 in Atlanta. For those chasing the top 125, it's the first of six events left on the season calendar.

A dozen players to watch
Stewart Cink: The Georgian is comfortably in the Tour Championship at No. 14, but he plays well here. He was second in 1997 and sixth last year.

John Cook: A difficult season finds Cook in a shocking position: 124th on the money list and in danger of Q-School. That should motivate him over the final month.

Chris DiMarco: Playing for the first time since his first PGA Tour victory at the Pennsylvania Classic. DiMarco is also secure in his Tour Championship berth, resting at No. 17.

Scott Dunlap: Dunlap has had some close calls this year and needs a couple of strong weeks to move up from 39th on the money list. And what better place than his home state of Georgia?

David Duval: Making his return to tournament golf after back woes sidelined him for nearly two months. Duval has played well in Georgia through the years and has caddie Mitch Knox back on the bag after an eight-month break.

Steve Elkington: More health problems have made 2000 a difficult year for Elkington, who is playing after hip surgery for just the second time. Matched the tournament record in winning here in 1998.

Fred Funk: Twice has lost playoffs in this tournament, in 1996 to Michael Bradley in a five-way tie and in 1998 to Elkington, when both matched the tournament record at 21-under.

Justin Leonard: Hoping to keep a good thing going after a five-shot win last week at the Texas Open. Leonard did it with his short game at LaCantera, and if that's still on, he should contend at Callaway Gardens.

Frank Lickliter: Coming off his best two weeks of the season, Lickliter finished fifth last week in Texas for his second straight top-10 finish. Lickliter makes a ton of birdies, but he makes a lot of bogeys as well.

Davis Love III: This is home for Love, who set the tournament record in his 1997 victory one year after losing a playoff. He will be tuning up his game for the Presidents Cup and Tour Championship in comfortable surroundings.

Nick Price: The man on the bubble at No. 30 on the money list. Price returns after a long break to get his game ready for the International squad at the Presidents Cup.

David Toms: The defending champion had a relatively easy stroll to the title last year, finishing at 17-under for a three-shot win. At No. 28 on the money list, he still has some work to do to secure his Tour Championship spot.