MAY THE COURSE BE WITH YOU
Pros will have to be at their best to beat venerable Baltusrol
WHEN Rory McIlroy accepted a check for $25,000 on Wednesday for the Rory Foundation after finishing second in the 2016 Long Drive Competition at Baltusrol he wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad omen heading into the 98th PGA Championship that begins Thursday.
“I would have rather finished first,” said McIlroy, whose drive of 345 yards off Hole No. 1 was second to Byeong Hun An’s blast of 347. “But at least I’m hitting the ball good.”
It will be more important for McIlroy, a four-time major champion, to be the winner Sunday, when the year’s last major is decided on the historic Lower Course at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. Conceived from the brilliance of A.W. Tillinghast, Baltusrol is hosting a major championship for the 11th time and has always demanded excellence off the tee before moving on to battle the subtleties of the slick greens.
That’s the way it was when Willie Anderson won the first U.S. Open at Baltusrol in 1903; when Jack Nicklaus won U.S. Open titles in 1967 and 1980 and when Phil Mickelson needed an extra day to capture the PGA Champi- onship by one stroke in 2005. It again will be that way this weekend at Baltusrol, where firm, fast fairways will be framed by a dense rough.
“You’ve got to drive the ball straight for sure,” Mickelson said. “It doesn’t have to be long. The great thing about Baltusrol is the front of the greens are always open. You have the opportunity to run up shots.”
Mickelson has played and won on Baltusrol. But a new generation of stars such as McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Jason Day are testing the storied course for the first time, each looking to add his own name to its legacy.
“I consider it one of the top American golf courses that there is,” said Spieth, who turned 23 on Wednesday. “I’ve enjoyed my time playing it.”
His mood could change once play begins with Thursday’s opening round. Remarkably, Baltusrol has held up over time. The Lower Course is only 90 yards longer than when Mickelson won in 2005. The fifth, 13th and 15th holes, all par-4s, have new back tees, lengthening the par-70 course to 7,428 yards.
The only par-5s come at the 649yard 17th and the 554-yard 18th. The 18th hole, which Mickelson played in 4-under in 2005, has a new look. The pond on the left has been expanded and fairway bunkers on the right have been brought closer into play.
“Basically, the water has taken the driver out of your hands,” Mickelson said. “You’re going to
have a longer shot in with most likely a hybrid.”
If you manage to reach the green in regulation, your work isn’t finished. Mickelson offered a critique of the greens, which will run as fast as a brutal 13.6 on the stimpmeter. Local knowledge suggests most putts break away from the mountain.
“The greens have a lot of contour and they are not consistent contours,” he said. “You can see multiple lines and only one of them is correct and it’s sometimes hard to see.”
It helps that most of the greens have wide surfaces and should be receptive. Two inches of rain fell Monday night and showers are expected Friday and Saturday. While that could further soften the greens, any rain would make the rough even more dense. Getting close to the hole could be difficult, especially later in the weekend when the rough grows and the greens harden.
“I think lag putting is going to be a big thing,” McIlroy said. “If you have good speed on the green, I think that’s going to be a big help.”
Mickelson won here with a 4-under 276 in 2005, but figure scores to be a bit lower given upgrades in talent and technology.
“If you finish anywhere near, I don’t know 6-, 7- 8-under par I think that would be a very good golf score for four rounds around this golf course,” said Masters champ Danny Willett.
Of course, Baltusrol will have something to say about that.