Popular Searches
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Share
The buzz word at Hazeltine is length
  
|
CHASKA, Minn. (AP) — Paul Azinger pulled the driver from his bag because there really is no other option at Hazeltine. The sign post on the opening hole has two words and two sets of numbers that serve as a not-so-subtle welcome to the PGA Championship.
490 yards. Par 4.
If that’s not enough, the wind was in his face.
A stream of fans were crossing the fairway about 200 yards off the tee, and as a marshal frantically waved his arms to stop the traffic, Azinger told him not to worry. He figured even he could keep the ball in the air that long, and he then ripped a shot that traveled well over their heads.
No need to put the cover back on the driver or any of the fairway metals for most players in the PGA Championship.
The final major gets under way Thursday, already in the record books without a single shot having been hit that counts on the card. Hazeltine National measures an official 7,674 yards, making it the longest course in major championship history.
The previous record was 7,643 yards last year at Torrey Pines for the U.S. Open. Before that, the record belonged to Medinah No. 3, which was 7,561 yards for the 2006 PGA Championship. And before that, it was 7,514 yards at Whistling Straits for the ‘04 PGA.
You get the picture.
“Looking forward to playing a major one day that does not promote itself as the longest ever,” Geoff Ogilvy said on Twitter.
If that’s the worst anyone can say, Hazeltine is doing much better. Dave Hill brought plenty of attention to his course in the suburbs of Minneapolis in the 1970 U.S. Open when he said, “All you need is 80 acres of corn and some cows.” And he was the runner-up.
The buzz word this week is long.
Scott Verplank, who is more on the short side of driving distance, was asked how many players could talk about Hazeltine without mentioning length or some variation of the word. “Zero,” he said.
“The best hole on the course is No. 16, and it’s the second-shortest hole,” he said of the 402-yard signature hole that runs along Hazeltine Lake. “The shortest one is No. 14, the one the same length as the par 3 before it.”
The PGA Championship bills itself as “Glory’s Last Shot” because it is the final chance of the year to win a major. That takes on particular significance for Tiger Woods, whose five victories this year do not include the kind he covets the most.
Woods is trying to match Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen with his fifth PGA Championship victory, and continue toward a more obscure record. Hagen won a major six years in a row; Woods is at four.
The world’s No. 1 player came close seven years ago at Hazeltine, closing with four straight birdies to finish one shot behind Rich Beem. The course was a mere 7,360 yards for the 2002 PGA Championship. Woods couldn’t help but notice the difference.
“Oh, man,” he said when asked what he had seen of the course. “It’s a heck of a lot longer than what we played in 2002. It’s going to be a great test all week. You’re going to have to hit the ball pretty good here.”
Hazeltine gets most of its length in the par 5s, the shortest of which is 572 yards and might be the only one where players can try to reach in two shots. Conveniently enough, the left side of the green is guarded by water.
The others are 633 yards (No. 3), 606 yards (No. 11) and 642 yards (No. 15).
That means the length could be somewhat of an equalizer if no one can reach most of the par 5s in two. Zach Johnson won the Masters (7,445 yards) in 2007 by laying up on every par 5. Verplank is another player who thrives on making birdie at par 5s with his wedge.
“That’s not a bad assessment, except I can’t hit a wedge into any of the par 5s,” he said with a laugh. “It plays into the hands of a certain style of player.”
He didn’t mention any names, perhaps because he hadn’t heard all the stories, such as Alvaro Quiros reaching the 15th hole with a driver and a 5-wood during a practice round Wednesday.
Majors are loaded with horror stories during practice rounds. Even at Whistling Straits, several players said they would take even par for the week and wait in the clubhouse. The first day, Darren Clarke opened with a 65.
The yardage, however, is just a number.
PGA Championship director Kerry Haigh is known to move tees around, making it play shorter and adjusting to the weather. He might move the tees up on the par-4 12th (518 yards) and the par-3 13th (248 yards), or one of the par 5s.
“There’s a lot of scope to adjusting the setup,” Ogilvy said. “It appears there might be a few holes they can play forward. The best hole is the 14th (352 yards), and I hope they move that up so you can have a go at the green.”
Wouldn’t that be a relatively easy hole?
“There are 17 other bogey holes out there,” Ogilvy replied.
Attention shifts from the course to the guys playing it Thursday. The defending champion is Padraig Harrington, who showed his return to form in a spirited duel that Woods won last week at Firestone. Phil Mickelson missed the British Open while tending to his wife’s battle with breast cancer, and he’s hopeful of ending his turbulent summer on a high note.
Masters champion Angel Cabrera, U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover and British Open champion Stewart Cink already have hit their high and are looking for more.
Cabrera would figure to have the best chance because he has been pounding the driver lately, so his answer was no surprise when asked he like the golf course.
“Si,” he replied.
And why is that?
“Es largo,” Cabrera said, which translates simply to “It’s long.”
Still, the strongest field of the year — 98 out of the top 100 in the world ranking — typically allows for multiple possibilities, especially in the final major of the year.
“This golf course, for a long course, doesn’t necessarily favor a long hitter as most other courses do,” Paul Goydos said. “It favors a good player. It’s amazing how golf works out that way.”
Golf Glance
PGA OF AMERICA
PGA Championship
Site: Chaska, Minn.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Hazeltine National Golf Club (7,674 yards, par 72).
Purse: TBA ($7.5 million in 2008). Winner’s share: TBA ($1.35 million in 2008).
Television: TNT (Thursday-Friday, 2-8 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 2-7 p.m.).
Last year: Padraig Harrington became only the fourth player to win the British Open and PGA in the same year, closing with a 4-under 66 at Oakland Hills for a two-stroke victory over Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis. The Irishman ended Europe’s 78-year drought in the event and joined Tiger Woods, Nick Price and Walter Hagen as the only players to win the final two majors in one year.
Last week: Woods won the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone to become the first player in PGA Tour history to win seven times on the same course. He won for the second straight week, the fifth time this year and 70th overall on the PGA Tour. Woods finished with consecutive 65s for a four-stroke victory over Harrington and Robert Allenby. Harrington took a one-stroke lead to the par-5 16th, but made a triple-bogey 8 and fell three strokes behind when Woods birdied after hitting an 8-iron to a foot.
Notes: Woods has 14 major victories, winning the PGA in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007. He won his final event before all four majors this year. ... Phil Mickelson tied for 58th last week in Akron, shooting 75-73 on the weekend, in his first event since wife Amy had surgery for breast cancer last month. His mother also is fighting breast cancer. ... In the 2002 PGA at Hazeltine, Rich Beem held on for a one-shot victory after Woods birdied the last four holes. ... Tony Jacklin won the 1970 U.S. Open at Hazeltine, also the site of Payne Stewart’s 1991 Open win. ... The event ends the race for automatic Presidents Cup spots. ... The 2010 tournament will be played at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, and the 2011 event is set for the Atlanta Athletic Club. ... The Wyndham Championship is next week in Greensboro, N.C., followed by The Barclays, the FedEx Cup opener in Jersey City, N.J.
On the Net: http://www.pga.com/pgachampionship
PGA Tour site: http://www.pgatour.com
PGA European Tour site: http://www.europeantour.com
NATIONWIDE TOUR
Price Cutter Charity Championship
Site: Springfield, Mo.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Highland Springs Country Club (7,115 yards, par 72).
Purse: $625,000. Winner’s share: $112,500.
Television: None.
Last year: Colt Knost won the second of his two 2008 titles, closing with a 10-under 62 for a four-stroke victory.
Last week: Chris Tidland won the Wichita Open, making a 20-foot eagle putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory over Dave Schultz and Chad Collins. Tidland won the 2008 Boise Open for his only other Nationwide Tour title.
Notes: The tournament is in its 20th season, all at Highland Springs. It is one of four remaining events from the inaugural 1990 season. ... Michael Sim, playing in the PGA Championship this week, leads the money list with $414,579, followed by Tidland ($293,680), Tom Gillis ($270,796) and Blake Adams ($255,906). The final top 25 will earn 2010 PGA Tour cards. ... The inaugural Christmas In October event is next week in Overland Park, Kan., followed by the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic.
On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
LPGA TOUR
Next event: Solheim Cup, Aug. 21-23, Rich Harvest Farms, Sugar Grove, Ill.
Last event: Scotland’s Catriona Matthew won the Women’s British Open on Aug. 2 for her first major title, beating Karrie Webb by three strokes 10 weeks after giving birth to her second child. The 39-year-old Matthew was 3 under at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
On the Net: http://www.lpga.com
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Next event: JELD-WEN Tradition, Aug. 20-23, Crosswater Club at Sunriver, Sunriver, Ore.
Last event: Fred Funk won the U.S. Senior Open by six strokes on Aug. 2, closing with a 7-under 65 at Crooked Stick for a tournament-record 20-under total. Coming off a playoff loss to Loren Roberts in the Senior British Open, Funk broke the mark of 17 under set by Hale Irwin in 2000 at Saucon Valley.
On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
OTHER TOURNAMENTS
Men
ASIAN TOUR: Queen’s Cup, Thursday-Sunday, Santiburi Samui Country Club, Koh Samui, Thailand. On the Net: http://www.asiantour.com
PGA EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR: Geneva Trophy, Thursday-Sunday, Geneva Golf Club, Geneva. On the Net: http://www.europeantour.com
Women
DURAMED FUTURES TOUR: iMPACT Classic, Friday-Sunday, Richmond Country Club, Richmond, Va. On the Net: http://www.duramedfuturestour.com
JAPAN LPGA TOUR: NEC Karuizawa 72, Friday-Sunday, Karuizawa 72 Golf Club, Nagano, Japan. On the Net: http://www.lpga.or.jp
490 yards. Par 4.
If that’s not enough, the wind was in his face.
A stream of fans were crossing the fairway about 200 yards off the tee, and as a marshal frantically waved his arms to stop the traffic, Azinger told him not to worry. He figured even he could keep the ball in the air that long, and he then ripped a shot that traveled well over their heads.
No need to put the cover back on the driver or any of the fairway metals for most players in the PGA Championship.
The final major gets under way Thursday, already in the record books without a single shot having been hit that counts on the card. Hazeltine National measures an official 7,674 yards, making it the longest course in major championship history.
The previous record was 7,643 yards last year at Torrey Pines for the U.S. Open. Before that, the record belonged to Medinah No. 3, which was 7,561 yards for the 2006 PGA Championship. And before that, it was 7,514 yards at Whistling Straits for the ‘04 PGA.
You get the picture.
“Looking forward to playing a major one day that does not promote itself as the longest ever,” Geoff Ogilvy said on Twitter.
If that’s the worst anyone can say, Hazeltine is doing much better. Dave Hill brought plenty of attention to his course in the suburbs of Minneapolis in the 1970 U.S. Open when he said, “All you need is 80 acres of corn and some cows.” And he was the runner-up.
The buzz word this week is long.
Scott Verplank, who is more on the short side of driving distance, was asked how many players could talk about Hazeltine without mentioning length or some variation of the word. “Zero,” he said.
“The best hole on the course is No. 16, and it’s the second-shortest hole,” he said of the 402-yard signature hole that runs along Hazeltine Lake. “The shortest one is No. 14, the one the same length as the par 3 before it.”
The PGA Championship bills itself as “Glory’s Last Shot” because it is the final chance of the year to win a major. That takes on particular significance for Tiger Woods, whose five victories this year do not include the kind he covets the most.
Woods is trying to match Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen with his fifth PGA Championship victory, and continue toward a more obscure record. Hagen won a major six years in a row; Woods is at four.
The world’s No. 1 player came close seven years ago at Hazeltine, closing with four straight birdies to finish one shot behind Rich Beem. The course was a mere 7,360 yards for the 2002 PGA Championship. Woods couldn’t help but notice the difference.
“Oh, man,” he said when asked what he had seen of the course. “It’s a heck of a lot longer than what we played in 2002. It’s going to be a great test all week. You’re going to have to hit the ball pretty good here.”
Hazeltine gets most of its length in the par 5s, the shortest of which is 572 yards and might be the only one where players can try to reach in two shots. Conveniently enough, the left side of the green is guarded by water.
The others are 633 yards (No. 3), 606 yards (No. 11) and 642 yards (No. 15).
That means the length could be somewhat of an equalizer if no one can reach most of the par 5s in two. Zach Johnson won the Masters (7,445 yards) in 2007 by laying up on every par 5. Verplank is another player who thrives on making birdie at par 5s with his wedge.
“That’s not a bad assessment, except I can’t hit a wedge into any of the par 5s,” he said with a laugh. “It plays into the hands of a certain style of player.”
He didn’t mention any names, perhaps because he hadn’t heard all the stories, such as Alvaro Quiros reaching the 15th hole with a driver and a 5-wood during a practice round Wednesday.
Majors are loaded with horror stories during practice rounds. Even at Whistling Straits, several players said they would take even par for the week and wait in the clubhouse. The first day, Darren Clarke opened with a 65.
The yardage, however, is just a number.
PGA Championship director Kerry Haigh is known to move tees around, making it play shorter and adjusting to the weather. He might move the tees up on the par-4 12th (518 yards) and the par-3 13th (248 yards), or one of the par 5s.
“There’s a lot of scope to adjusting the setup,” Ogilvy said. “It appears there might be a few holes they can play forward. The best hole is the 14th (352 yards), and I hope they move that up so you can have a go at the green.”
Wouldn’t that be a relatively easy hole?
“There are 17 other bogey holes out there,” Ogilvy replied.
Attention shifts from the course to the guys playing it Thursday. The defending champion is Padraig Harrington, who showed his return to form in a spirited duel that Woods won last week at Firestone. Phil Mickelson missed the British Open while tending to his wife’s battle with breast cancer, and he’s hopeful of ending his turbulent summer on a high note.
Masters champion Angel Cabrera, U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover and British Open champion Stewart Cink already have hit their high and are looking for more.
Cabrera would figure to have the best chance because he has been pounding the driver lately, so his answer was no surprise when asked he like the golf course.
“Si,” he replied.
And why is that?
“Es largo,” Cabrera said, which translates simply to “It’s long.”
Still, the strongest field of the year — 98 out of the top 100 in the world ranking — typically allows for multiple possibilities, especially in the final major of the year.
“This golf course, for a long course, doesn’t necessarily favor a long hitter as most other courses do,” Paul Goydos said. “It favors a good player. It’s amazing how golf works out that way.”
Golf Glance
PGA OF AMERICA
PGA Championship
Site: Chaska, Minn.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Hazeltine National Golf Club (7,674 yards, par 72).
Purse: TBA ($7.5 million in 2008). Winner’s share: TBA ($1.35 million in 2008).
Television: TNT (Thursday-Friday, 2-8 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 2-7 p.m.).
Last year: Padraig Harrington became only the fourth player to win the British Open and PGA in the same year, closing with a 4-under 66 at Oakland Hills for a two-stroke victory over Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis. The Irishman ended Europe’s 78-year drought in the event and joined Tiger Woods, Nick Price and Walter Hagen as the only players to win the final two majors in one year.
Last week: Woods won the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone to become the first player in PGA Tour history to win seven times on the same course. He won for the second straight week, the fifth time this year and 70th overall on the PGA Tour. Woods finished with consecutive 65s for a four-stroke victory over Harrington and Robert Allenby. Harrington took a one-stroke lead to the par-5 16th, but made a triple-bogey 8 and fell three strokes behind when Woods birdied after hitting an 8-iron to a foot.
Notes: Woods has 14 major victories, winning the PGA in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007. He won his final event before all four majors this year. ... Phil Mickelson tied for 58th last week in Akron, shooting 75-73 on the weekend, in his first event since wife Amy had surgery for breast cancer last month. His mother also is fighting breast cancer. ... In the 2002 PGA at Hazeltine, Rich Beem held on for a one-shot victory after Woods birdied the last four holes. ... Tony Jacklin won the 1970 U.S. Open at Hazeltine, also the site of Payne Stewart’s 1991 Open win. ... The event ends the race for automatic Presidents Cup spots. ... The 2010 tournament will be played at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, and the 2011 event is set for the Atlanta Athletic Club. ... The Wyndham Championship is next week in Greensboro, N.C., followed by The Barclays, the FedEx Cup opener in Jersey City, N.J.
On the Net: http://www.pga.com/pgachampionship
PGA Tour site: http://www.pgatour.com
PGA European Tour site: http://www.europeantour.com
NATIONWIDE TOUR
Price Cutter Charity Championship
Site: Springfield, Mo.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Highland Springs Country Club (7,115 yards, par 72).
Purse: $625,000. Winner’s share: $112,500.
Television: None.
Last year: Colt Knost won the second of his two 2008 titles, closing with a 10-under 62 for a four-stroke victory.
Last week: Chris Tidland won the Wichita Open, making a 20-foot eagle putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory over Dave Schultz and Chad Collins. Tidland won the 2008 Boise Open for his only other Nationwide Tour title.
Notes: The tournament is in its 20th season, all at Highland Springs. It is one of four remaining events from the inaugural 1990 season. ... Michael Sim, playing in the PGA Championship this week, leads the money list with $414,579, followed by Tidland ($293,680), Tom Gillis ($270,796) and Blake Adams ($255,906). The final top 25 will earn 2010 PGA Tour cards. ... The inaugural Christmas In October event is next week in Overland Park, Kan., followed by the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic.
On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
LPGA TOUR
Next event: Solheim Cup, Aug. 21-23, Rich Harvest Farms, Sugar Grove, Ill.
Last event: Scotland’s Catriona Matthew won the Women’s British Open on Aug. 2 for her first major title, beating Karrie Webb by three strokes 10 weeks after giving birth to her second child. The 39-year-old Matthew was 3 under at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
On the Net: http://www.lpga.com
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Next event: JELD-WEN Tradition, Aug. 20-23, Crosswater Club at Sunriver, Sunriver, Ore.
Last event: Fred Funk won the U.S. Senior Open by six strokes on Aug. 2, closing with a 7-under 65 at Crooked Stick for a tournament-record 20-under total. Coming off a playoff loss to Loren Roberts in the Senior British Open, Funk broke the mark of 17 under set by Hale Irwin in 2000 at Saucon Valley.
On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
OTHER TOURNAMENTS
Men
ASIAN TOUR: Queen’s Cup, Thursday-Sunday, Santiburi Samui Country Club, Koh Samui, Thailand. On the Net: http://www.asiantour.com
PGA EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR: Geneva Trophy, Thursday-Sunday, Geneva Golf Club, Geneva. On the Net: http://www.europeantour.com
Women
DURAMED FUTURES TOUR: iMPACT Classic, Friday-Sunday, Richmond Country Club, Richmond, Va. On the Net: http://www.duramedfuturestour.com
JAPAN LPGA TOUR: NEC Karuizawa 72, Friday-Sunday, Karuizawa 72 Golf Club, Nagano, Japan. On the Net: http://www.lpga.or.jp
Share this Article
 |
 |
|
| Mexico beats US 2-1 in World Cup qualifier | Local Briefs |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of registerstar.com.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
