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Daly, Singh play as Dye unveils changes to 84 Lumber Classic course

By Dave Stofcheck 4 min read

FARMINGTON – During the past three years, Mystic Rock has been nipped, tucked, pulled, preened, stretched and narrowed. There has been an almost constant tinkering with this green, or that tee, or that fairway, or this bunker.

Sometimes even in the dead of winter.

Course designer Pete Dye knows where every nook and cranny is, and rarely lets his pride get in the way when it comes to one of his creations.

When the world’s best golfers suggest changes, Dye usually listens.

Call it smart business.

“It’s an annuity,” Dye quipped, after Vijay Singh and John Daly led a throng of spectators, TV cameramen, reporters and photographers down Mystic Rock’s back nine Monday as part of a friendly exhibition to benefit 84 Lumber Classic charities, and kick off the tournament’s retail and corporate sales campaigns.

Singh – the world’s top-ranked player and 84 Lumber Classic defending champion – and fan-favorite Daly put to test Mystic Rock’s home stretch, where eight of the final nine holes have undergone changes.

One of the biggest transformations has come on the par-3 12th, where the green has been reduced to approximately 4,000 square feet and water has been brought into play on three sides of the putting surface.

Both Daly and Singh hit 7-irons into No. 12 Monday, with Singh resting about 15 feet from the pin, and Daly positioned in the left fringe after dropping his tee shot onto the green and having it trickle off.

“Last year, all the talk was about the 12th green,” Daly said. “It really slowed played down, especially if guys would hit their tee shots down on the right side. But the changes are remarkable.”

The hole actually has two greens, with the original green sitting to the right. Both will still be used, the original mainly for resort play.

In contrast to the par-3 17th at 200 yards, No. 12 will usually play around 155. Dye wanted the two to contrast, much like the front nine’s two par-3s.

“We wanted to give a variety of length off the tee, and we don’t want the holes to have the same feel,” Dye said.

A variety of other changes have been made as well:

– No. 2: Right- and left-side bunkers have been rebuilt and moved further into the fairway, bringing them more into play from the tournament tees. The fairway has also been narrowed on the right side down-slope past the fairway bunker.

– No. 4: Right side of fairway has been narrowed, creating a 30-yard wide landing area.

– No. 5: Rock wall on right side of cart part has been moved approximately 40 fee to create a grass area, and the second landing past the left-side fairway bunker has been narrowed.

– No. 8: Fairway has been narrowed on right side, making for a consistent width of 27 yards.

– No. 9: 65 trees were planted on the right side of the hole from the ladies tee to the green in what used to be the fairway. The landing area has been narrowed to 27 yards wide, and two fairway bunkers on the right side have been removed. A lake that is bordered by a large stacked rock wall has been constructed.

– No. 10: Fairway past the left-side fairway bunker has been narrowed.

– No. 13: A new pro tee has been constructed 25 yards behind the existing tee, and the fairway on the left side has been narrowed to a 27-yard landing area.

– No. 14: Fairway past the large right-side bunker has been narrowed.

– No. 16: Fairway on the right side past the right-side fairway bunker in the second shot landing area has been narrowed. The large green-side bunker near the front left of the green has been removed, and the lake has been moved to the edge of the fairway and a rock wall has been reconstructed, meaning water now sits at the front left edge of the green.

– No. 17: A new pro tee has been constructed closer to the 16th green to bring the water more into play from the tee.

No. 18 – Right side of the fairway has been narrowed past the right-side fairway bunker.

Singh won the exhibition, but the purse was split in half, with $22,500 to be divided among his and Daly’s charities.

Sitting next to Dye at a press conference, Singh said he was impressed with most of the changes, but still lobbied for more.

“I don’t think (No. 9) is long enough for that new tee box,” Singh said.

And you can bet Dye was listening.

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