Boeing Classic Notes | Denis Watson's knee, driver in disrepair

SNOQUALMIE — Golf is unpredictable, but it will be a surprise if the defending champion of the Boeing Classic raises the trophy again this year.

Denis Watson is recovering from a knee injury that sidelined him for most of July. The face on his driver cracked about the same time as the injury.

"Perfect storm," the Zimbabwe native deadpanned this week as he tried out replacement drivers on the Snoqualmie Ridge driving range. He said the driver that broke no longer is made.

"I played last week very poorly," said Watson of his 52nd-place finish at the Jeld-Wen Tradition in Bend, Ore. "I have a lot of swing issues that developed."

Notes

• A foursome from GE Aviation won the Seahawks Pro-Am with a two-day score of 23 under for 27 holes. Competition had been planned for 36 holes but heavy rains Wednesday forced afternoon golfers off the course early. The GE Aviation golfers were Rick Streamer, John Gough, Hugh Slatter and Chuck Chadwell. They won a trip to the Super Bowl.

• The winning score has gone up in each of three years of the Boeing Classic. David Eger won in 2005 with a 17-under 199 for three rounds, Tom Kite won in 2006 with a 15-under 201, and Watson won last year's seven-man playoff after shooting 9-under 207.

• The winners of PGA Tour majors in the field: Hale Irwin (1974, '79, '90 U.S. Open); Nick Price (1992 and '94 PGA, '94 British Open); Ben Crenshaw (1984, 1995 Masters); Sandy Lyle (1985 British Open, '88 Masters); Mark O'Meara (1998 Masters, British Open); Curtis Strange (1988, '89 U.S. Open); Fuzzy Zoeller, (1979 Masters, '84 U.S. Open); Wayne Grady (1990 PGA); Tom Kite (1992 U.S. Open); Scott Simpson (1987 U.S. Open); and Jeff Sluman (1988 PGA).

• There are four winners of the U.S. Amateur in the field: Bruce Fleisher (1968), John Cook (1978), Mark O'Meara (1979) and John Harris (1993).

• Two of the most attractive pairs go off back-to-back today at 12:40 and 12:50 p.m. off the first tee. The first group is Sluman, Lyle and Price and the next group is Fred Funk, Scott Hoch and Crenshaw.

• Big names in this tournament who never have won on the Champions Tour: Crenshaw, Strange, Price and O'Meara.

• Bruce Vaughan, an ex-firefighter from Hutchinson, Kan., got into last year's Boeing tournament as a Monday qualifier. This year, he is fully exempt after being the surprise winner of the Senior British Open.

• The most difficult hole last year was the par-4 fourth hole with an average score of 4.203. The par-3 ninth hole had been the most difficult hole the previous two years. The easiest hole all three years of the tournament has been the par-5 first hole. Last year, scores on No. 1 averaged 4.629.

• Suggested shots to watch: 1. Tee shot on No. 14 ("Canyon Hole") because golfers have the option of going for the green and the crowd encourages them to do it; 2. Tee shot over water on the par-3 ninth hole; 3. Second shot on the par-5 18th hole.