By Greg Robertson
ESPN Golf Online
Sunday, October 8

Details
When	Thursday-Sunday
Course	Kingsmill Golf Club, Williamsburg, Va.
Par/Yardage	Par 71; 6,853 yards
Purse	$3 million (Winner: $540,000)
1999 champion	Notah Begay III
Tournament record	19-under 265 (Scott Hoch, 1996)
Television	Thursday: 2-4 p.m. ET (ESPN) Friday: 12:30-2:30 p.m. (ESPN) Saturday: 4-5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) Sunday: 4-6 p.m. ET (ABC)

The tournament

	Hole by hole
	Hole	Par	Yards
	1	4	360
	2	3	204
	3	5	538
	4	4	437
	5	3	183
	6	4	381
	7	5	516
	8	4	413
	9	4	460
	Out	36	3492
	10	4	431
	11	4	428
	12	4	395
	13	3	179
	14	4	383
	15	5	506
	16	4	427
	17	3	177
	18	4	435
	In	35	3361
	Total	71	6853
	Key holes: The closing holes are among the hardest on the PGA Tour, with the 17th a tricky par-3 under the watchful eyes of boaters along the water. The 18th is a dogleg left with water in play on the approach and placement of the drive a difficult proposition.

With the Tour Championship just four weeks away and the Presidents Cup just two weeks away, the Michelob Championship has drawn an interesting mix of players in the field.

Big guns like David Duval and Jim Furyk, Presidents Cup players like Robert Allenby and Mike Weir, and Tour Championship bubble players like Scott Hoch, John Huston and Tom Scherrer are in the field. So are players fighting to reach the top 125 and retain their playing cards for 2001.

Notah Begay III is the defending champion, and he arrives at Kingsmill brimming with confidence. Begay's victory last year was the second of his rookie season and assured him that he belongs on the PGA Tour. He has followed up in 2000 with two more wins at Memphis and Hartford, a Presidents Cup berth and 16th on the money list.

Begay not only has good memories about this tournament, but Virginia golf as well. As a member of the Nike Tour in 1998, Begay posted the first 59 in that tour's history at the Dominion Open.

If Begay is to repeat, he'll probably have to contend with a rejuvinated David Duval. After missing nearly two months with back woes, Duval returned last week and won the Buick Challenge with vintage Duval form.

And if that isn't enough, Duval won at Kingsmill in both 1997 and 1998.

Next week, the PGA Tour heads to Las Vegas for a rare 90-hole tournament, then it's on to the Presidents Cup for the elite players and the inaugural Tampa Bay Classic for the rest of the group.

A dozen players to watch
Notah Begay III: The defending champion is playing with more confidence this year, having already won twice in 2000. A good opening round is vital to this streaky player

Tom Byrum: The man on the bubble at No. 125 on the money list, Byrum pulled his season together last year at Kingsmill with a playoff loss to Begay. He was seventh at Reno and 13th at Tucson, but hasn't been on the leaderboard anywhere else this year.

Mark Calcavecchia: Still looking for his first win of 2000, but he's come close a few times -- including two of his last three starts, where he was third in Vancouver and second in Pennsylvania.

Barry Cheesman: Suffering through a miserable year at No. 134 on the money list, but he was third at Kingsmill in 1998 and fourth last year. This could be the course this long bomber needs to retain his playing privileges.

David Duval: The clear favorite this week, Duval won this event in both 1997 and 1998, had a top-10 finish last year and is coming off victory last week at the Buick Challenge. The spark is in his eyes once again.

Steve Flesch: Duval got his breakthrough victory at this event three years ago, so why not the same fate for Flesch this year? Flesch has 11 top-10 finishes this year, second only to Tiger Woods, but still hasn't found victory No. 1.

Jim Furyk: Had a couple good weeks during the summer, but Furyk hasn't played up to his standards this year. He did tie for fourth at the NEC Invitational in late August, then turned around and missed the cut in Pennsylvania.

Scott Hoch: He needs to move at least one spot on the money list to get into the Tour Championship. He's finished fifth each of the past two weeks and holds the tournament record at this event, finishing 19-under in 1996.

Franklin Langham: Like Flesch, he's still looking for that first victory, and he's come even closer this year with three second-place finishes among his seven top-10s. At 18th on the money list, he's already in the Tour Championship, so he can concentrate on winning.

David Toms: The man on the Tour Championship bubble at No. 30 on the money list, Toms usually plays well late in the season. That wasn't the case last week at Callaway Gardens, where he missed the cut as defending champion.

Grant Waite: He's been on a streak over the last month, finishing second in both events in Canada and cracking $1 million in earnings last week with a strong finish at the Buick. He lost a playoff to Duval in this event in 1997.

Mike Weir: Needs a good October to make the Tour Championship field, and this is probably his best chance. He finished one shot out of the playoff last year with Begay and Byrum and will be using the week to prepare for his first Presidents Cup.