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2006 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP COURTESY OF Out to Get it Right As the pros will tell you, course setup for a major is no laughing matter. Guide to the PGA A Fan’s Special Section during The PGA will be busy at Medinah—and the rest of the week the year, too. A Presidential Homecoming Roger Warren, president of the the PGA, returns home and brings a major championship with him. Out to Get it Right As the pros will tell you, course setup for a major is no laughing matter. Guide to the PGA A Fan’s Special Section during The Illinois PGA will be busy at Medinah—and the rest of the week the year, too. A Presidential Homecoming Roger Warren, president of the the PGA, returns home and brings a major championship with him. 30 34 36 38 30 34 36 38 What’s Inside What’s What’s Inside What’s 2006 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Kerry Haigh (far right) oversees course setup for the PGA of America’s signa- ture events, among them the PGA Championship and the . Out to Get it RIGHT After slick greens at the Masters, a demanding U.S. Open test and a hard and fast British Open, it’s Kerry Haigh’s turn at course setup at the season’s final major.

By Tim Cronin

Editor’s Note: The 88th PGA Championship will be Aug. 17-20 at Medinah Country Club. This is the third in a series of articles related to the club and the championship.

t was last July 22, a typically warm summer day in the area, when the members of Medinah Country Club and selected guests COURTESY PGA OFCOURTESY AMERICA Ifound themselves as human guinea pigs. The laboratory experiment under togs. But appearances the sun at the big west suburban club deceived. Haigh, the only one was by no means harmful, except per- without a set of clubs, was mak- haps to the ego of some golfers. While ing plans for this year’s PGA This brought him an enthusiastic some might have thought him a mad Championship. He was watching care- group of volunteers. scientist, the director of the experi- fully the control group on Medinah’s What was Haigh looking for? A fair ment, missing a chance for a photo No. 3 Course, making mental notes test, especially on the greens. At opportunity, wasn’t even wearing a about precisely how he, in his role as Medinah, where the greens swing and white smock. the PGA of America’s managing direc- sway like a hula dancer, the green Instead, not at all mad and most of tor of competitions, would set up the speed cannot be set on infinity. On all methodical, Kerry Haigh looked for the competition that this day, Haigh was seeking a set of like the rest of the group, dressed in then was nearly 13 months away. hole locations on each green.

30 CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLFER 1 “It’s a balance,” Haigh explained. about 12 ⁄2. An 11 is pretty quick for tiered -5 10th, out of play. That’s 1 “As you get quicker, you can lose hole set, and at 12 ⁄2, you’re what Haigh wanted to inspect and locations.” moving into the ultra-fast range; an why he was at Medinah a year early, Haigh needed more, not fewer, such ideal practice setting for something rather than simply showing up a few destinations, and so he experimented this slick would be the linoleum floor days before the PGA and rolling the with different green speeds. Thanks to in your parents’ 1960s kitchen. dice. Haigh, meticulous in his prepara- the magic of modern mowers, he was But championship-fast greens may tion, prefers planning to chance. able to have greens running from also take portions of Medinah’s “Since 1993, I’ve been coming in a Stimpmeter readings of just over 11 to greens, such as the front of the multi- year ahead,” Haigh explained. “I let the

JULY/AUGUST 2006 31 ment director Michael Belot, was to sit- 88TH PGA CHAMPIONSHIP. . . uate everything from television towers to grandstands to corporate tents, making sure that, short of a wayward AT A GLANCE shot more common to a media outing than a top-rank professional, all the WHAT: 88th PGA Championship modern trappings of big-time golf WHEN: Aug. 17-20 would be out of play. Done and done. WHERE: Medinah Country Club (No. 3 Course) But Haigh was most interested in FIELD: 156 players how the greens were running. He knows that, even if everything else DEFENDING CHAMPION: goes right, greens that are too fast can PURSE: To be announced ($6.5 million in 2005) make a mockery of the game. That was the case on the seventh green at RECORD 72-HOLE SCORE: 265 (15 under par) by , 2001 at Athletic Club Shinnecock Hills in the final round of the 2004 U.S. Open. After every few RECORD 18-HOLE SCORE: 63 by nine players, most recently by Thomas Bjorn, third groups in the afternoon, the green had round in 2005 at Baltusrol to be watered, not so much to keep it FORMAT: 72 holes . If there is a tie after 72 holes, alive, but to keep it from turning to there will be a three-hole with the total score dust. deciding the winner. If players are tied for the lead after “I think they understand and set this playoff, play will continue on a hole-by-hole basis. the golf course up very well,” , who captured the 1988 PGA TELEVISION: Aug. 17, TNT, noon-6 p.m.; Aug. 18, TNT, noon-6 p.m.; Aug. 19, TNT, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., CBS, 1-6 p.m.; at Oak Tree Golf Club in , Aug. 20, TNT, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., CBS, 1-6 p.m. said of the philosophy brought to life by Haigh. “They’re not as concerned FUTURE SITES: 2007 at Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Okla.; about protecting par there as reward- 2008 at Oakland Hills Country Club (South Course), ing excellently struck shots. I think , Mich.; 2009 at Hazeltine National that’s great. You don’t see 20 under Golf Club, Chaska, Minn.; 2010 at (Straits Course), Kohler, Wis.; 2011 at win a PGA. You rarely see double fig- (Highlands Course), ures. But you see well-struck shots Duluth, Ga.; 2012 at Kiawah Island (Ocean rewarded, and I think that’s fine in our Course), Kiawah, S.C. day and age. They’re tucking pins, making greens firmer, narrowing fair- BY THE NUMBERS ways, the roughs are high. PAR YARDAGE PAR YARDAGE “I don’t see anything wrong with a guy driving it down the middle and 1 4 434 10 5 579 hitting a good shot. He doesn’t 2 3 191 11 4 438 have to hit it to 5 feet, but he should be 3 4 414 12 4 471 able to get rewarded at 15 or 20 feet.” 4 4 463 13 3 244 That’s become a trend. The PGA 5 5 537 14 5 605 may be last on the calendar, but it’s 6 4 474 15 4 392 closer to first in the category of course 7 5 587 16 4 453 setup matching course quality. And 8 3 204 17 3 197 that is Haigh’s doing. architecture 9 4 435 18 4 443 lines, the Not bad for a 47-year-old of the course 36 3,739 36 3,822 refurbishing Englishman who began his golf career dictate what 72 7,561 of Tom setting up courses on the Ladies we’ll do, and Bendelow’s European Tour. that’s part of the fun of it. This obvious- original work undertaken by golf He soon arrived in America with ly is a great old traditional golf course, course architect earlier in the LPGA and was working for and it has adapted to technology.” the decade, would work for the PGA. Kemper Sports when the PGA Part of Haigh’s inspection was to Part of it, in conjunction with club and Championship arrived at Kemper make sure the new fairway and rough other PGA officials, including tourna- Lakes in 1989. He helped set up the

32 WWW.CDGA.ORG golf course with other officials from weeks leading up to the PGA, Haigh doing all the things ergonomically we the PGA of America, who were also won’t have to deal with a recur- had planned to do.” impressed with Haigh’s work. The rence of 1999’s poor green conditions, Last year’s tests gave Haigh a wealth organization soon hired him, and by caused by a mixture of high heat and of information about how he wanted 1993 Haigh was in charge of tourna- humidity and contaminants that infil- to set up the course for the PGA ment setups, with the crown jewel trated the water. The latter, which did Championship, but where he sets the being the PGA Championship. It was more harm the more the course was needle regarding green speed won’t be then that he commenced his year- watered to combat the tropical condi- determined until just before the event ahead experimentation. tions, was finally discovered through commences. “You always feel a lot better pre- thorough testing of the club’s sprin- “That allows us, based on weather, pared when you come in and see the kling systems. to adjust accordingly,” explained golf course,” Haigh explained. “And As might be suspected, Jones’ reno- Haigh. because of the changes since 1999, vation coincided with a wholesale Haigh may have some critics, but we’ve lost some hole locations.” replacement of the watering system on consider this from last Those were few in number, but with No. 3, including a double-line fairway year, after Phil Mickelson won the PGA seven greens at Medinah No. 3 rebuilt system that will keep the rough deep, Championship at by Jones following the 1999 PGA, even in the heat of August, when grass in New . Haigh wanted to be doubly sure he grows very slowly. “Why can’t all the championships had four good tests on each green, All of the above, from the planning be this way?,” he asked. The PGA gets plus three more positions for practice to the weather, had Haigh feeling it right.” rounds. Thanks to Jones’ remodeling upbeat during a visit to Medinah this and course superintendent Tom spring. Tim Cronin, golf writer for The Daily Lively, mission accomplished. “The weather has been fairly kind Southtown, is the author of “The Spirit Unless Mother Nature throws a to us, and the golf course has wintered of Medinah,” the club’s 75th anniversary curve ball at the area in the days and very well indeed,” Haigh said. “We’re book. Stay&Play GETAWAY

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JULY/AUGUST 2006 33 A Fan‘s Guide to the PGA Do’s and Don’ts DON’T bring your cell phone with you. n’t carry to where players can hear you, 4 Spectators may not bring cell phones onto but you’d be surprised how far noise 2 the grounds, and security will be checking carries. bags and purses at the entrances. And 3 speaking of security, leave additional time DON’T even think about bringing a for waiting and lines. camera once the tournament starts. Leave 12 the photography to the professionals. 1 13 DO wear comfortable shoes. Chances are you are going to do a fair amount of DO heed weather advisories without walking or be on your feet for much of delay. If a thunderstorm is approaching 14 the day. and weather warning signs are posted, metal bleachers are not the place to be. 18 DON’T interrupt a player or his during the round. Autographs are not to DON’T leave one green and head to 17 be requested until a player has finished the next hole until all his round and signed his scorecard. the players in the group have finished. Phil Mickelson DO be aware of your surroundings. This is distracting to Champion, 2005 You may think your conversation does- the players.

88th PGA Championship General Parking Lots There are three designated 1 Champion, 1998, 2004 parking areas for spectators. EUCLID AVE 2 NORTH 83 k 53 45 The Yellow Lot is north 62 WEST HWY Rolling Meadows of Medinah, at Arlington Park Arlington Heights 90 Racecourse, located near the What This intersection of Route 53 and F RD Euclid Avenue. GOL 58 Means rve 72 62 The Red Lot is to the HIGGINS RD There’s more at stake at the PGA south, at East Branch Forest ALGONQUIN RD Preserve, just off Glen Ellyn Championship than a name on a trophy, a 290 seven-figure check and a place in history. Road. ROSELLE RD 90

EACHAM RD The PGA Championship also ends a two- The Blue Lot is at Harper M lL Schaumburg BIESTERFIELD RD year period in which players accumulate Elk Grove Village 72 College, located on Algonquin 83 DEVON AVE Chicago points (based on top-10 finishes in official ELGIN O’HARE EXPY 12 Road, just east of Roselle Road. RD 45 K PGA Tour events) toward selection to the Additionally, a shuttle will THORNDALE AVE 4 O‘HARE 2006 U.S. Ryder Cup team. Following the Itasca 190 transport fans to and from the YOR NEW AIRPORT Roselle Medinah Metra Station. PGA, the 10 leading point-earners become H RD H IRVI A NG PARK RD IN Bensenville automatic selections; , the U.S.

LAKE S ED NORTH T M Dale captain, will announce two additional at- large selections on Monday, Aug. 21. LEGEND Bloomingdale 290 GLEN ELLYN RD GLEN ELLYN 1 - Arlington Park Racetrack The 35th Ryder Cup, a biennial event ARMY TRAIL RD 12 (General Public Yellow Lot) SWIFT RD 83 45 featuring a U.S. team of men professionals Glendale Heights

2 - Harper College (General Public Yellow Lot) RD ROHLWING 3 against a team from , will be played 355 Addison RD 3 - East Branch Forest Preserve 294 (General Public Red Lot)

HEIM Sept. 22-24 at The in Straffan, 4 - Medinah Metra Train Station 53 S YORK RD (Shuttle for Metra Passengers) Elmhurst MAN , Ireland. VE BLOOMINGDALE RD NORTH A - Parking Lot Extrances 64

34 CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLFER Who’s Tiger Woods Champion, 1999, 2000 Who

6 Naturally, the abbrevia- 5 tion most commonly heard Where to Watch at Medinah will be PGA. But golfers and non- 7 golfers alike often confuse = If there were a Times Square of golf courses, it would be this area smack in the middle of the PGA Tour with the PGA of America. 9 Medinah’s No. 3 Course. Within a 75-yard radius, The PGA Championship is conducted 8 a spectator can see play at the or green of six by the PGA of America, whose head- different holes: 4 tee, 8 green, 9 tee, 11 green, 12 quarters is located just north of Palm tee and 15 tee. This is the prime viewing area, but 10 Beach, Fla. The PGA of America is a 11 like Times Square, it’ll be jammed, so pick your national organization of approximately times wisely. 28,000 club and teaching professionals— = Get to the grandstand behind the 16th green to the men and women trained to work with 15 check out viewing angles. From here you can see the golfers for the instruction and improvement 16 players hit their approach shots and putt out at 16, of the . and perhaps see all of the par-3 17th and the tee In contrast, most of the men’s profession- shots at 18. If you’re here on Sunday afternoon, al events televised each weekend are part chances are you’ll see how the PGA Championship of the PGA Tour, which is located near is won or lost. Jacksonville, Fla. The PGA Tour exists to = Without much effort, parts of four holes (the sixth, seventh, ninth and 10th) provide top pros a venue in which to earn can be seen. If “grip it and rip it” is your kind of golf, the 10th tee is your a living playing tournament golf. The place. It’s a par 5 and, for Tour players, that usually means trying to get organization runs the PGA Tour, a lower- home in two. level Nationwide Tour, and a Champions Tour for players age 50 and older. The PGA

in Chicago Champion, 1989

FLOSSMOOR OLYMPIA FIELDS KEMPER LAKES 1920 of Glen- 1961 In one of golf’s great stretch 1989 led or was tied view failed in sectional qualifying for the PGA runs, holed long putts over the for the lead after each of the first three rounds. He and made the field as an alternate after two sub- final three holes of regulation play—20 feet for led until late on Sunday, when he hit it into the sequent withdrawals. He won the 36-hole match a birdie at the 16th hole, followed by a 40- water at the 16th and made bogey, then three- play final over J. Douglas Edgar, 1 up. Jim footer for par and a 60-foot birdie—to tie Don putted the 17th for a double bogey. Payne Stewart Barnes, who won the first two PGAs, dropped the January at 3-under-par 277. Barber shot a 67 closed with a 5-under-par 31, keyed by four first three holes in his second-round match and in an 18-hole playoff and beat January by a birdies over the last five holes, to win by a stroke was beaten by . stroke. over Reid, and .

OLYMPIA FIELDS MEDINAH 1925 opened the 1999 ’s Sergio Garcia, at match-play final against Bill Melhorn with an 19 the youngest player ever to play in a PGA eagle-birdie start. He opened a 4-up lead Championship, hit one of golf’s memorable halfway through the scheduled 36-hole final shots in the final round, escaping from a lie and was never seriously threatened. The nestled near the trunk of a tree with a curving biggest upset came in the opening round when approach to the 16th green. He made up most Jerry Barber two-time champion was of a five-shot deficit against Tiger Woods, who bounced by Jack Burke, 8 and 7. Champion, 1961 held on and won by a shot.

JULY/AUGUST 2006 35 2006 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP Special Section

The Illinois PGA will be busy during the week of the PGA Championship—and the rest of the year, too. may have played in Tour events, but their focus now is promot- By Mike Spellman ing the game at their own facilities. And our responsibilities at the IPGA include funding all the tournaments and educational rett Melton has, by now, grown accustomed to the ques- programs for all the club professionals in the area.” tion. Topping the list of priorities for the some 900 members of B The PGA professional at Green Garden Country Club Illinois PGA, whose boundaries stretch from the in Frankfort knows exactly what to expect when he mentions border in the north to Champaign and Peoria in the south, is that he’s a member of the Illinois PGA. working to get more people out on the course, particularly kids. “The first thing amateur golfers want to know is if I’ve met With that in mind, the IPGA hosted its first Play Golf Tiger Woods,” Melton said with a laugh. “Then they usually ask America day last year, an event held at Pine Meadow Golf for a golf tip.” Club in Mundelein that drew in excess of 500 participants. Typical stuff. (This year it will be held at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton on the “There’s a public misconception of the PGA of America and eve of PGA Championship Week.) the PGA Tour,” said Michael Miller, executive director of the That figures to be quite a busy day because also on that Illinois PGA. “We’re not the PGA Tour. We’re the local arm for Sunday, Aug. 13, in conjunction with the PGA the PGA of America. Championship, is the finals of the first-ever PGA Youth Skills “People’s first response is always, ‘Aw geez, you must play on Challenge at Medinah Country Club, host of the 88th PGA the PGA Tour.’ We do have members who earlier in their career Championship.

• Immaculately conditioned • World-class bent grass greens, with five target greens and fairways • Beautiful stocked with • Sculptured bunkers University of Illinois apparel • Numerous lakes and • Home course of the stone laden creeks U of I golf teams • Global Positioning System • Five-Star Restaurant (GPS) (Kennedy’s at Stone Creek) • Play and Stay programs available

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36 WWW.CDGA.ORG Instruction is an integral role of the PGA of America and its local sections. COURTESY PGA OF AMERICA

From mid-May to mid-June, more than 30 courses held local qualifying competitions highlighting the driving, chip- ping and putting skills of players ages 6 to 17. Two regional qualifiers on July 16 determine who advances to the finals on Aug. 13 at Medinah. “We viewed it as a way not only to get juniors involved in the game, but also to showcase some of our own PGA mem- bers and what their role is at the local level,” said Miller, 43. “We’re proud to be the first PGA section to conduct a Youth Skills Challenge in conjunction with the PGA '/,& 0!2 0!#+!'% Championship.” 34!24).' !4  2ESORTROOMFORONEEVENINGAND All participants in the challenge will receive two free prac- TWOROUNDSOFGOLFPERPERSONWITH0RO,INKCART tice round tickets to the PGA Championship, and those who advance to Medinah are in for VIP treatment. The IPGA figures to have a heavy presence at Medinah throughout the week of the championship. More than 250 of ).  +.)#+%23 7%2%.4 its professionals have signed on to volunteer their time to help /,$ &!3()/.%$ run the final major of the season. 4(%9 7%2% .%7 &!.',%$ “Our primary role as the host section is to provide volunteer staffing for the practice areas—the driving range, the putting 4IMES HAVE CHANGED 3O HAS ,AKE ,AWN 2ESORT green,” Miller said. “We’re also in charge of escorting foreign 7EVE MADE ALL KINDS OF UPDATES OVER THE COURSE OF OUR media around the golf course for the week.”  YEARS AND NOT JUST TO OUR PANTS 4HE MOST EXCITING If all that weren’t enough for Miller and his staff of five full- CHANGES TO DATE COMMENCE WITH THE UNVEILING OF time employees based at The Glen Club in Glenview, the  LUXURIOUS ,ODGE ROOMS AND THE BEST IS YET TO COME IPGA is scheduled to run 70 tournaments for its members in 0REPARE YOURSELF FOR  AT LAKELAWNRESORTCOM a six-month span between April and October The keynote tournaments are its four majors: the Illinois Open at The Glen Club in the first week of August, the mem- bers-only PGA Section Championship at the end of August at 7)4.%334(%%6/,54)/./&!.)#/. Stonewall Orchard Golf Club in Grayslake, the PGA Championship, which was held in May at in Kildeer, and the Eagle Ridge Classic Championship in Galena in October. “We had to juggle and reshuffle our schedule a little bit, but we didn’t eliminate any events because of the PGA,” explained Miller. “It just makes the month of August a little /FFERBASEDONMIDWEEKSTAYANDDOUBLEOCCUPANCY0ACKAGERATELISTEDDOESNOT busier.” INCLUDEOCCUPANCYTAXES"UYUPSANDWEEKENDRATESAVAILABLE CALLFORDETAILS

$ELAVAN 7ISCONSIN \ ,!+% Mike Spellman covers golf for The Daily Herald in Arlington Heights.

JULY/AUGUST 2006 37 2006 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Medinah No. 3 is my favorite golf course. I love the old, traditional parkland courses. “It’s like a cathedral of golf. It’s such a very, very special place to play.” — Roger Warren

Warren said he went down to the green, picked the ball out of the cup and thrust his arms in the air to let Jordan know it indeed was an ace, and Jordan returned the salute. “He can put the needle in you,” Warren continued. “You’ve heard about him talking to people on the basketball court? He does the same thing on the golf course. He’s got a great needle. He takes it very well, too, because you can needle him. He was fun to play with.” Warren lived his entire life in Illinois before leaving Roger Warren Seven Bridges in 2003 to take over as director of golf at Kiawah Island (S.C.) Golf Resort, site of the . He took with him many notable credentials; Seven Bridges had been named one of America’s 100 best golf A Presidential shops by Golf Shop Operations magazine five times, and he was the Illinois PGA Section’s merchandiser of the year for public facilities in 1992. Homecoming He grew up in DeKalb and, after graduating from Western Illinois University, took a teaching position at a jun- ior high school in Glen Ellyn. Like a lot of teachers, Warren Roger Warren, the president of the took on a summer job—at the Village Links in Glen Ellyn. In PGA of America, returns home for the the summer of 1986, the director of golf position opened there and Warren decided to apply. Even though he wasn’t organization’s biggest event. a PGA member and the seven other candidates were, Warren got the job. But he realized that if he was going to By Tommy Braswell have any credibility as a golf professional, he needed to become a PGA member. hat Roger Warren has played golf with Tiger Woods, He achieved that goal in 1990, the beginning of a fast and , just to name a few super- track to the organization’s highest position. In 2000, he was T stars, isn’t all that surprising for the reigning presi- elected national secretary, a post that led to his present posi- dent of the PGA of America. After all, presiding over the tion with the PGA of America. organization that oversees the PGA Championship and Although he’s firmly entrenched at Kiawah, where he is Ryder Cup should offer a few perks. now president of the entire resort, Warren is eagerly looking What might be more impressive to Chicago sports fans forward to going home for this summer’s PGA is that Warren also has played golf with legendary Bulls Championship at Medinah Country Club. star Michael Jordan and baseball’s Ken Harrelson, Tom The 1999 PGA was played at Medinah, where Tiger Pacorek and Eric Soderholm, acquaintances he made Woods beat Sergio Garcia by one shot on a memorable final while serving as director of golf at Seven Bridges Golf day, and the is scheduled to be held at the Club in Woodridge. storied Chicago course. In fact, Jordan was “witness” to one of Warren’s shining “Playing Medinah is an example of the PGA’s commit- moments. They both were playing Butler National Golf ment to take the PGA Championship to the country’s great Club, albeit in separate groups on this particular day, when golf courses,” Warren said. “Medinah No. 3 is my favorite Warren made the only hole-in-one of his career. golf course. I love the old, traditional parkland courses. It’s “The 13th hole is behind the fifth hole, and he was up on like a cathedral of golf. It’s such a very, very special place the 13th tee and saw me hit my shot,” Warren remembered. to play.” “I was playing with my son (Michael) and the head golf pro- fessional, Bruce Patterson. They all go, ‘It went in! It went Tommy Braswell covers golf for The Post and Courier in in!’ Michael Jordan is standing there saying it didn’t go in.” Charleston, S.C.

38 CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLFER