By Greg Robertson
ESPN Golf Online
Sunday, August 6

Details
When	Thursday-Sunday
Course	Castle Pines Golf Club, Castle Rock, Colo.
Par/Yardage	Par 72; 7,559 yards
Purse	$3.5 million (Winner: $630,000)
1999 champion	David Toms
Tournament record	48 points (Phil Mickelson, 1997)
Television	Thursday-Friday: 4-6 p.m. (USA) Saturday: 4-6 p.m. ET (CBS) Sunday: 3-6 p.m. ET (CBS)

The tournament

	Hole by hole
	Hole	Par	Yards
	1	5	644
	2	4	408
	3	4	462
	4	3	205
	5	4	477
	6	4	417
	7	3	185
	8	5	535
	9	4	458
	Out	36	3791
	10	4	485
	11	3	197
	12	4	440
	13	4	439
	14	5	623
	15	4	403
	16	3	209
	17	5	492
	18	4	480
	In	36	3768
	Total	72	7559
	Key holes: Every hole is key in a Stableford system, so the closing holes become even more important as players try to pile up the points. The 17th is a must-birdie with chances for eagle. At just 492 yards, it's a drive and short iron for most. A creek comes into play down the left, and the hole is uphill, particularly the green. Putting down the slope can be quite tricky. The 18th, on the other hand, is a difficult par-4, just 12 yards shorter than the previous par-5. Also a dogleg left, it features a number of bunkers up the left side to a multi-tiered green.

Get ready for some aggressive golf and some monster shots this week on the PGA Tour.

It's The International, where the scorecard is thrown out the window in favor of a modified Stableford scoring system, which rewards aggressive play instead of steady scorers.

The system awards points for holes under par and penalties for those over par, but it isn't a balanced system. Players get eight points for a double-eagle, five for an eagle and two for a birdie. They lose a point for a bogey and three points for anything worse.

In other words, a player who makes two pars will get nothing, while a player who makes a birdie and a bogey will be one point ahead. Such a system favors those willing to take chances, and there are plenty of those on the PGA Tour.

The tournament has evolved over the years and now allows players to build their point totals over four days. When The International first started, a cut was made each day, and players started over at zero each day. That changed in 1993, when Phil Mickelson won the first of his two International titles.

Last year, David Toms held off David Duval and Stephen Ames down the stretch. He finished with 47 points for the week, just one point shy of Mickelson's tournament record. It was the first of two wins late in the season for Toms and helped him to finish 10th on the season money list.

Toms became the third consecutive player to win after holding the third-round lead, following Mickelson (1997) and Vijay Singh (1998). Singh's win came one week after his PGA Championship triumph, but the tournament has moved from that traditional spot this year.

One thing that is the same is Castle Pines Golf Club, which measures 7,559 yards but plays like one of the shorter courses on the tour. That's because of the Rocky Mountain altitude, which allows balls to travel much further. Players will spend the practice rounds figuring out just how far they can hit clubs.

The International features a stellar field, with many players using it as the final tuneup for the PGA Championship in two weeks. Others, like Tiger Woods and Fred Couples, are skipping this event and will play the Buick Open next week instead.

A dozen players to watch
Notah Begay III: One of the hottest players in golf this summer, with wins at Hartford and Memphis, a close call at Loch Lomond and an early lead in the British Open before settling for 20th. He certainly knows how to play aggressive golf.

John Cook: His season has been a disappointment, but he was 12th last week at the John Deere Classic and won Fred Couples' charity tournament on Tuesday with a 10-birdie, 10-under 62. He won The International in 1987.

David Duval: Fell one birdie shy of a playoff last year with David Toms, and showed at the British Open his game is in solid shape. Still nursing a sore back, but ranks fifth on tour in birdie percentage.

Ernie Els: His five second-place finishes this year -- including all three majors -- have him on pace to set a dubious mark. Won at Loch Lomond the week prior to the British Open and now leads the European Order of Merit despite limited play on the tour.

Charles Howell: Playing just his third event as a professional last week, Howell finished one shot out of a playoff at the John Deere Classic. He set records with his performance in the NCAA Championship this year and is extremely long. Another good finish could keep him out of Q-School in the fall.

Tom Lehman: Already having a solid season with a win at Phoenix, Lehman took it up a notch at St. Andrews with a tie for fourth. Also finished sixth at The Masters, showing an ability to play his best in the biggest events.

Phil Mickelson: The only two-time champion of this event, Mickelson has the length and creativity needed at Castle Pines and an aggressive nature that helps his cause. Already a three-time winner in 2000.

Greg Norman: Norman is making an early return to the tour following hip surgery in late June. He hoped to be back by the PGA Championship, but is ahead of schedule. Game could be rusty, but he is the 1989 International champion.

Jose Maria Olazabal: Olazabal's erratic driving doesn't get him into as much trouble at Castle Pines, which is one reason he won this event in 1991. One of many European Tour players using this as a tuneup for the PGA.

Vijay Singh: Confidence seems to be shaky since his win at The Masters. Dominated this event in 1998, coming within one point of Mickelson's tournament record. Success all depends on his putter these days.

David Toms: Last year's champion proved his mettle by holding off Duval on Sunday. Hasn't played particularly well in 2000 until the British Open, where he was on the leaderboard all week and eventually tied for fourth.

Kirk Triplett: Breakthrough season includes his first win, and nearly No. 2 last week at John Deere. He is in position to earn a Presidents Cup spot and should benefit from the scoring system since he is fourth on tour in birdie percentage.