Crunch time for PGA has arrived
Now that the golf world has returned to normalcy, crunch time has arrived.
Golf’s four major championships are behind us, as is the grand experiment of golf in the Olympics.
The FedEx Cup playoffs begin today for the top 125 players on the money list at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course on Long Island.
Over the next three weeks the players who have performed best during the PGA Tour’s regular season will attempt to crank their games up to a high level with the hope of climbing into the top 30 which would qualify them for the Tour Championship at East Lake G.C. in Atlanta.
And, they’ll not face a tougher test than the first one. Bethpage Black has hosted the U.S. Open twice, in 2002 and 2009. The first was a culture shock Open because players had no idea how difficult the place was.
Remember the 10th hole, a par-4 that was so long, especially off the tee, that the short and medium-length guys off the tee could carry the ravine between the tee and fairway?
Part of that goes to setup errors by the USGA, the other part is because it’s just a big, old hard course. Tiger Woods (remember him?) won that year, thrilling the boisterous New York crowds.
Lucas Glover won the Open there in 2009 on a course that wasn’t nearly as difficult that to considerable rain.
It will be very interesting to see how it plays out this year.
More interesting will be to see if any of the top players fall victim to Bethpage Black’s ferocity and don’t advance to next week’s playoff event at TPC Boston. After 36 holes this week, the field will be cut to the low 70 and ties.
Advancement will be based on points and the top 100 will go to Boston. The top 70 from Boston will advance to the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana. The 30 players who’ll advance to East Lake will be determined there and after a week off, they’ll play for the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup title, which brings with it a $1 million to the winner, along with a $10 million bonus from FedEx.
Get ready for some great golf and great competition. But don’t wear yourself out.
The Ryder Cup will be held at Hazeltine Golf Club in Minnesota, Sept. 27-Oct. 2, with the United States team desperately trying to end a streak of five wins in the last six competitions by the Europeans.
Yes, these competitions will begin to go up against football soon, but they’ll be worth watching.
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Isn’t it interesting that the high school golf season begins the same week as the PGA Tour postseason begins?
It’s too bad for the kids, actually. Their season goes by far too quickly and puts them in a position of having to play consistently well and quickly to get into the WPIAL and PIAA postseason tournaments.
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Let me finish today’s column with a personal note.
Wednesday was one of THOSE days for me.
I was privileged to be the guest of Arnold Palmer’s long-time, right-hand man, Doc Giffin, along with a couple other of Doc’s media friends at Latrobe Country Club.
It’s a monthly event that we’ve played in on other occasions, but this one was special.
Giffin has had to deal with a physical issue this summer and was just allowed to start playing again a few weeks ago. It was great to have him back and he was greeted warmly all day.
It was great for us because there are always great stories told when you put four guys together who have been involved in the media for as long as we have.
Doc enjoyed himself and it was great to be out there playing with him again.
And to top it off, Palmer spent a few hours in his cart following us, giving his media friends the business as he has for so many years.
He gave me an approving nod when I got up-and-down from a bunker on No. 4 and clapped politely for a lengthy birdie putt on the fifth. That marks the first time in my nondescript golf career that Arnold Palmer approved of what I was doing with a club in my hand.
It was a great day, one to be long remembered.
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Do you have an interesting story about your club or course or an individual who has done something special, let me know. Send your story ideas to mike.dudurich@gmail.com.