BMW golf tourney at Aronimink full of stars
NEWTOWN SQUARE » The site of two of the biggest wins of his career, the Philadelphia area has been very important to Justin Rose’s career.
Born in South Africa, two of Rose’s nine PGA Tour wins have come here. He conquered Aronimink Golf Club in the 2010 AT&T National, which was his breakout season in America. And then in 2013, he outlasted Phil Mickelson to prevail in the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, which remains the only major championship on his resume.
A citizen of England, the 38-yearold Rose is poised for another local run. He is in the top three in the FedExCup points standings, ranked fourth in the world and grabbed a win at the Fort Worth Invitational. And this week’s BMW Championship is back at Aronimink.
“Obviously, the Aronimink course I’ve enjoyed in the past,” he said. “I haven’t been here in a long time. It’s had some renovations since. (But) I’m excited about this tournament.”
The career-altering win five years ago changed his life. In addition to the glory that comes with winning a major, Rose was granted a membership to Merion, and he’s been back often to play the famed East Course.
“I try to make a trip every year just with some friends and walk down memory lane,” Rose said. “The first time I went back, I think I went back with about eight to 10 friends and we just had a couple good days.
“They all came dressed in my final round outfit: white trousers, blue shirt. (I was) slightly embarrassed, but it was fun.”
On that return trip in 2014, Merion placed the pin at 18 in the back left portion of the green, just like it was for the final round in 2013.
“That made it a special memory and it was fun to experience that with all of my close friends I’ve grown up with since being a young boy,” Rose said. “I enjoy going back every year.”
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A native of Dallas, Jordan Spieth has captured four major crowns and 11 wins on the PGA Tour — and he’s only 25 years old. But on the eve of the BMW Championship, he was asked about the NFL career — and the NFC East rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and his team, the Dallas Cowboys.
“I don’t work for the Cowboys,” he said. “I’m born and raised in Dallas. You can’t hate a person for being a fan of the hometown team.
“I have mixed feelings here. People don’t like me being from Dallas, but my parents (Shawn and Christine Spieth) grew up in the Bethlehem area.”
According to Spieth, he also has an uncle who lives in Philadelphia and is a big Eagles fan.
“We’ve texted a number of years going back career — we talk a lot more but every game day is an affair with us,” he said.
During a practice round Tuesday, Spieth was reminded often that the defending Super Bowl champs reside in Philly.
“There were only a few people watching and people kept just yelling at me: ‘Jordan, how about the Eagles?’” he said. “I’m like, ‘I get it. Good job. Congrats man.’”
And then he added: “If you don’t respond, they’ll yell it louder and louder and louder.”
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The last time the PGA Tour stopped at Aronimink in 2011 for the AT&T National, the longish par3s were among the most difficult on the course. Three of the four par-3 holes are in excess of 220 yards, and they are all well-guarded greens with lots of bunkers to catch wayward tee shots and plenty of slope to test lengthy putts.
“They are definitely the meat of the golf course,” Spieth said.
The longest of the bunch is the downhill 242-yard eighth hole. And then on the back nine, two of the final five holes are the 221-yard 14th and the 229-yard 17th.
“From what I’ve seen on those holes thus far, in the middle of the green never hurts you,” Spieth said. “Recognize they’re the harder holes, take your three and run. You have par-5s and some wedges into
par-4s to make some birdies.” Defending BMW champion Marc Leishman mentioned that the shortest hole on the course, the
159-yard fifth, can be a challenge if you’re not careful.
“Eight is a long, long hole — I think you have to be pretty conservative,” Leishman said. “The short one is a good hole. Any of them you can’t really short-side yourself. You have to be hitting your irons good and hitting your spots. If you don’t, it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be very tough.”