Hazeltine’s massive opening hole early indication of what’s to come

HAVING been put through the mill at the recent Open Championship because the host club, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield, didn’t allow women members, Tiger Woods should have no such worries at Hazletine.

The home of the 84th USPGA prides itself on having, in the words of general chairman William D. Travis, “a strong commitment to equal access to the first tee”. He also likes to point out that the club was “recently named by Golf Digest for Women as the top ranked golf club in the nation supportive of women’s golf”.

Hazeltine was founded in the mid 60s strictly as a golf club.

“We are a small club with 290 members”, says Travis. “We like to walk, play by the rules and work hard to develop our skills”.

The draw for the first two rounds of the PGA has produced something of a coincidence for Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke as they will be going off the 1st and 10th tees at precisely the same time on Thursday and Friday - 7.10 pm and 2.05 pm Irish time.

Harrington partners Mark Calvecchia, a potential Ryder Cup opponent next month, and Chris DiMarco. Clarke goes out with Justin Leonard and Duffy Waldorf, the gent in the Hawaiian shirt who made quite an impression in last month’s Open. Paul McGinley, the third Irishman in the field, plays with Dean Wilson and Carl Paulson at 2.55 (Irish) on Thursday and 8 p.m. on Friday.

Normally, the PGA bring together the first three major winners of the season but with Woods having claimed the first two, defending champion David Toms slots in alongside Tiger Woods (who after his latest romp in the Buick Open actually begins to look decent long odds value at 15 to 2) and Ernie Els. They are off at 2.35 p.m., Thursday, and at 7.40, Friday.

Meanwhile, massive par fours, genuine three shot par fives one of which stretches to 636 yards and par threes where even Tiger Woods may need a long iron are among the chief characteristics of the par 72 course located in the outskirts of the twin cities of Minneapolis/St Paul.

The players know what to expect as soon as they arrive at the 1st., a monster par four of 460 yards which is played between a cluster of fairway bunkers to an elevated green. In other words, take par and get out of here! The challenge to every club in the bag is unrelenting. As early as the 3rd., the stars are confronted with a 636 yarder played through a long chute of trees and intimidating rough. Unless each shot is kept on the fairway, the chances of reaching the green in three are pretty remote.

The outward nine stretches to 3,700 and is by far the longer of the two. Which isn’t to suggest, however, that the overall package doesn’t present a formidable test. It most certainly does and on the way home, the players will beware of holes such as the 12th, which, at 465 yards is the longest of the par fours and is all the more difficult because of a pond to the right of the green.

And so the final five holes which will capture most of the attention on television and represent a relatively fair and undoubtedly interesting climax.

14th (352 yards): The green is driveable at this birdieable par four and those needing to make up ground will give it serious consideration.

15th (586 yards): The three tiered green is reachable in two shots. Avoiding the many bunkers dotted along the landing areas is the key to mastery of an outstanding par five.

16th (402 yards): Many consider this to be Hazeltine’s signature hole. The drive must carry 220 yards over a lake. Water remains as company on both sides all the way to a green which is like a peninsula jutting out into Lake Hazeltine. There will be a lot of casualties here.

17th (182 yards): Not an especially long par three by to-day’s standards but with two water hazards and four strategically positioned bunkers, danger lurks just about everywhere.

18th (457 yards): Inevitably there are fairway bunkers on both sides while it is imperative to avoid the many deep traps on the right of a multi tiered green. A worthy concluding par four.