April 28, 2009 -- It's one of the newest and yet still most anticipated and popular events on the PGA Tour. But what makes this tournament - the week before the PGA Tour's premier event, so popular? PGA Head Professional at Quail Hollow Scott Davenport shares some insight.

PGA.com: Looking at the list of past champions at Quail Hollow, it's hard to find an unfamiliar face among them. What do you think it says about the event and the course that only the very best players in the world seem to be able to win?

Davenport: I think the biggest thing is that we have been fortunate to have great fields every year. The course is such a good test, and a lot of Tour players want to come out here and see where they are before the Players Championship the following week. Really, I think this event just shows that when you have a very talented field, and a very challenging golf course, the best players should win most of the time.

PGA.com: Anthony Kim scored his first Tour victory at Quail Hollow last year. Perhaps, then, you have a better perspective than most...do you think he is going to be the next big challenger to Tiger Woods as some have predicted?

Davenport: Well his success certainly hasn't been a surprise. Anthony's been a great talent for a long time. He was a terrific junior player and really a very dominant collegiate player as well. I'd be surprised if he wasn't very successful for a long time to come. He has what it takes to win a lot more on Tour.

PGA.com: The layout at Quail Hollow is one of the longest on Tour, boasting three par 4's over 475 yards in length and a par 3 at 250 yards. Does the distance mean that this course is for bombers only?

Davenport: I think some of the winners we've had here show that this course is not only for one type of player. Furyk and Toms have both won here and they are not among the longest hitters on Tour, even though they're great players. You really have to be able to do it all to be successful at Quail Hollow. Driving well is important but you also have to putt well and control your approach shots into the greens. We are a par 72 with four par 5's, so for sure there is a little edge to the guys who can hit those greens in two, but the Tour players are so good with their wedges that birdies are almost as easy to come by from the fairway. With good approaches, the shorter hitters can definitely make up for anything they lose in driving distance.

PGA.com: With Quail Hollow only a few years into its current run on Tour, I think many people would be interested to learn more about the course's history. What should golf fans know about Quail Hollow's past that might surprise them?

Davenport: The family that started the club, the Harris family, is a very prominent golf family. They have been a big part of golf around here for a while, and their vision for the course, the tournament, and everything else has really been a huge part of what's made Quail Hollow such a special place.

PGA.com: The final three holes at Quail Hollow include two of the three monster par 4's on the course as well as a challenging par 3. Is there an official nickname for this finishing stretch? I'd think the members probably have some interesting ways to describe it.

Davenport: One of the local sportswriters referred to the closing three holes as the "Green Mile." We've adopted that name, and it's definitely appropriate. It really is a killer finish. It takes a pretty special player to be able to handle the last three holes well, and whoever wins the tournament will have to grind through a tough end to Sunday's round.