Low scores, good reviews in Harding’s major debut
For the first time in its lively, 95year history, Harding Park hosted a majorchampionship round Thursday. San Francisco’s venerable municipal course drew mostly positive reviews from the world’s best players after the opening day of the PGA Championship.
That said, Harding needs some wind to become daunting.
Thursday’s first round featured calm conditions — gloriously sunny at times, a gentle breeze, none of the bleak and smothering fog that engulfed the course during practice rounds. And, not surprisingly, the players took advantage.
Not only did Jason Day and Brendon Todd shoot 5underpar 65s to share the lead, but nine other players posted 66. No fewer than 47 players turned in a belowpar score.
Those numbers suggested
Harding, even after it was stretched to 7,251 yards on the scorecard (7,229 for Thursday’s round), was easy pickings. Not even 3½ inches of thick, punishing rough could prevent Day and his peers from sailing around the course with little trouble.
But Zach Johnson sounded a warning after his 66: The scores will soar if the wind picks up.
“Without question, it feels like a major venue,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to say this is as easy as it gets right here, but it’s gettable right now. There’s minimal wind. Good shots are rewarded.”
Xander Schauffele, who also shot 66, agreed on the role of Mother Nature. Friday’s forecast calls for more sunshine, temperatures in the low 60s and modest winds about 10 mph most of the day.
“I think the hardest task this week will be the weather, for the most part,” Schauffele said. “Today has been the nicest day we’ve had since I’ve been on the property, so I think that’s why you’re seeing a lot more (low scores). If the weather stays nice, the greens will firm up — and then the rough is majorchampionship rough.”
Twotime major winner Martin Kaymer, another player in the group at 66, pointed to the stark contrast between Harding’s most vulnerable holes (he cited Nos. 4, 10 and 151617) and its most challenging holes (Nos. 8, 9 and 1114).
Kaymer made eagle on No. 4 but bogeys on Nos. 9 and 11.
Still, the heavily trafficked public layout is in strikingly good condition. It didn’t hurt when the course closed for nearly seven weeks (March 17May 3) because of shelterinplace mandates, and then closed again July 17 ahead of the event.
Scottie Scheffler (yet another 66) raved about the smooth greens, not always the case at Harding.
“I like the look of this course,” Scheffler said. “It’s really cool with the cypress trees and thick rough. The holes are shaped nicely off the tee. … I think the layout is awesome.”