Final Thoughts On Harding Park's Successful Week, Now About Those Bunkers...

The TPCesque marble tee signs are aging gracefully

After Torrey Pines next year and Bethpage’s Ryder Cup in 2025, the major event schedule mostly returns to country clubs or high end resorts (I’m not sure how we’ll characterize Frisco’s PGA Championship course under construction, but it will be open to the public).

As Garrett Morrison wrote in lamenting the winding down of muni major sites, San Francisco hasn’t quite gotten what it hoped for with the $23 million renovation PGA Tour Design Services 2003 effort and the grifting that could have funded refurbishments on all of the city courses.

Still, there is no price to put on the images that came out of San Francisco on east coast prime time and the perfect conclusion to Harding’s resurrection. The course will have just that much more cache when it becomes the regular site of a Steph Curry-hosted fall Tour event and while it’s not a major, the schedule is booked well down the road with no obvious opening until 2031 or so.

While the front nine can get redundant or downright goofy at the 8th, as I noted here with the ShotLink evidence on my side, the back nine presents a pretty stout set of holes and grand conclusion. While the 16th may not be a future template hole, the scatter charts demonstrate a huge variety of ways it was attacked over four days. Not many holes, including Riviera’s vaunted 10th, can make that claim in the era of protein shake six packs and packages of bacon for breakfast.

There is one issue that needs to be resolved for both functional and spiritual reasons: the bunker sand.

Leave the blinding stuff to Augusta National or places adjacent to white sand beaches. It works in those places.

At an old San Francisco muni with ancient Monterey Cypress, Harding just needs some old fashioned beige pits with steep faces and thick lips. Good news, they have the example they need on property in the form of The Fleming Course.

The par-3 course used to house TV, the range and the fifth tee, also has much better looking bunkers than “TPC” Harding Park. They also looked to have actual sand in them, unlike on the big course. No one enjoys having the flange of wedges hit pricey liners installed to keep the white stuff clean. Tiger Woods was 0 for 7 until getting up and down 2 of 4 times Sunday. Tiger Woods is no junior varsity bunker player.

So Harding Park, I know another pricey redo to give the bunkers worthy character is not in the budget, nor should it be. But lose the country club sand and we look forward to seeing you ever September starting next year.

A few photos:

TPC Harding Park’s 11th hole (left) and the Fleming Course’s more befitting bunkers next to it featuring beige sand, raised faces and thick lips

The Fleming Course

A Fleming Course hazard with character.

Tiger On Chilly Harding Park: "The ball doesn't fly very far here."

There wasn’t much from Tiger’s press conference/Zoom Tuesday at Harding Park. He was sharp, all smiles and sounding confident in a quest to win major No. 16.

Bob Harig at ESPN.com covered the most pertinent details, including the lower back talk.

And with temperatures hovering in the 50s in the mornings and likely to not reach 70 for most of the week, the ability to get loose will be part of the struggle for Woods.

"I think that for me when it's cooler like this it's just make sure that my core stays warm, layering up properly," he said. "I know I won't have the same range of motion as I would back home in Florida, where it's 95 [degrees] every day. That's just the way it is.

"Talking to some of the guys yesterday, they were laughing at their TrackMan [a measuring device] numbers already. They don't have the swing speed or ball speed they did last week. It's just the way it is. It's going to be playing longer. It's heavy air weather and whether the wind blows or not, it's still going to be heavy. The ball doesn't fly very far here."

There is also the matter of his putting, which clearly was a focus Monday when he played nine (he did not play Tuesday).

Late in the day Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis tweeted out that a putter change is in store:

.@TigerWoods plans to use his backup @ScottyCameron putter for the @PGAChampionship instead of his famous Newport-2 putter he used to win 14 of 15 Majors. This putter is similar to old putter but has weights on the sole that he can replace to accommodate his feel on the greens.

— Todd Lewis (@ToddLewisGC) August 5, 2020

Woods did well on the tee time draw. He goes at 8:33 am Thursday with personality and speed compatible peers in Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas. He also avoids the quick turnaround of a late/early tee time start, something that appeared to be an issue at last month’s Memorial.

The full field tee times can be viewed here.

Roundup: Harding Park History, Primers And Other 2020 PGA Moodsetters

Despite the bizarre times, some pretty nice efforts have been made to enhance your connection to this true muni and its lore.

Do not miss Bill Nierkerken’s San Francisco Chronicle slideshow of various tournament and historic moments at Harding Park over the years.

PGATour.com’s Sean Martin files a really super and comprehensive look at Harding Park with a nice range of history and design change information.

I’m getting mixed predictions on one topic he touches upon: balls staying up in the flattop Cypress. It happened in the match play here, and while it used to be more prevalent before the trees received more care, still something to keep an eye on given the launch angle approach.

Harding Park’s curving fairways require players to choose how aggressive they want to be and to shape their tee shots. Players have to be careful to avoid the cypress trees, which are known to swallow golf balls, though.

“I've seen enough (balls) get stuck to where I'm going to try my hardest to avoid cutting off doglegs too much,” Jordan Spieth said before the 2015 Match Play.

Doug Ferguson wrote for AP on the incredible quality of winners at Harding Park over the years. It’s a fascinating juxtaposition with the other course across Lake Merced where all time greats always come up just short in men’s majors.

For The Athletic I dealt with the backstory (well just part of the saga) in Harding’s resurrection and landing the PGA Championship.

The historic San Francisco City has come up in many stories above and you can’t do better than Bo Links summarizing what makes that event so great.

And speaking of Bo, he’s apart of Garrett Morrison’s history of Harding podcast launching tomorrow. A preview:

Tomorrow, in a new episode of Fried Egg Stories from @gfordgolf, we tell the story of Harding Park. This teaser features @links_bo and @ronkroichick.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. pic.twitter.com/fBd25ysOPh

— The Fried Egg (@the_fried_egg) August 4, 2020

Five Reasons To Get Excited About This Week's PGA

Greetings From San Francisco!

I covered a lot of ground in this contribution for The Athletic, where I’ll be filing pieces all week from San Francisco (40% off subscriptions, currently, btw and well worth it especially now that the NBA and MLB are in action).

What I did leave out of the list: there is something magical about coastal San Francisco golf and major conditions. It’s some sort of enchanting mix of the fog, crisp blue skies, those incredible Monterey Cypress and the zany city nearby fueling the magic.

So yes, the fans won’t be here, but something tells me we are in for a wild week. Check out the five best reasons to get excited here.

One other note: Ron Sirak reminds us that it’s been over a year since a men’s major. That alone should get you excited!

Video: All 18 At TPC Harding Park From Above

The drivable(?) 16th hole at TPC Harding Park

Glory’s only shot! This (really) is major. The 2020 PGA Championship is here!

While there isn’t much to study here architecturally unless insipid bunkers on the outside of doglegs are your thing. But you can’t help but be enraptured by the birds-eye view of the majestic Monterey Cypress. And the cart paths. Roomy!

If the sun comes out, expect CBS’s new live drone, the Goodyear Blimp and other elements to provide great visuals. It stinks not having crowds this week more than any event on the calendar, but we’ll march on.

From the PGA of America’s YouTube page:

Harding Park To Give Up Future Presidents Cup In Return For Annual Steph Curry-Hosted Tour Stop

As far as trades go, this is huge win for San Francisco, Harding Park and the PGA Tour from what I’m reading in Ron Kroichick’s San Francisco Chronicle story.

In a nutshell: the PGA Tour and City of San Francisco contract called for several events, including the 2026 Presidents Cup (one year closer to Olympic Club hosting the 2028 PGA). Instead, the already-once-failed attempt at a Steph Curry-hosted fall event has been resurrected. Originally slated for Lake Merced the first go-round, Kroichick says next month’s PGA Championship host will end up the regular site instead of the Presidents Cup.

Workday, sponsor of last week’s one-off “Charity Open” at Muirfield Village was the likely sponsor the last time a Curry-hosted event was considered and seems the likely sponsor for the new fall stop.

California Governor Opens The Door To Possible Sports Events In June

Looking highly unlikely just days ago, PGA of America officials must be pleased to see California Governor Gavin Newsom opening the door to a possible return of sports in California.

Fans are out for the foreseeable future and many other conditions must be met, but the early August PGA still has a shot at being played. However, major changes in rules for world travel would need to change if the PGA wants to play with a traditional international field.

Recently, Tommy Fleetwood said he would not be partaking in the PGA Tour’s June return due to rules on quaranting on both sides of the Atlantic.

The governor’s remarks:

California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state could see pro sports return by the first week of June without fans. pic.twitter.com/j4PPg56Yn7

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 18, 2020

Who Wants To Re-grass Harding Park's Greens!?

As if the old regime at PGA Tour Design Service's bloated renovation price tag ($23 million) wasn't already tragic enough, conversations are taking place about Harding Park's greens needing re-grassing in advance of a 2016 "playoff" event at the San Francisco muni.

Ron Kroichick reports.

The project, if it happens, figures to occur after next year’s Schwab Cup. That still would allow time for the new greens to round into shape before Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Co. come to Harding in ’16.

City officials also must find a way to pay for any renovation of the greens, no small obstacle given ever-present budget constraints.

“Resources are always going to be an issue, so we need to figure out the smartest way to do it,” Ginsburg said.

Considering that the city is struggling to fend off suggestions that the other city courses be closed due to budget constraints and that $23 million bought an uninspired design that in a more ideal economy should be renovated, maybe the PGA Tour can pick up the tab on this one since it's their precious members who have to have things absolutely perfect? 

Harding Park In Running For Another Prez Cup

Ron Kroichick reports that the 2009 site may get another as part of the Tour's renegotiated deal with the city of San Francisco.

PGA Tour Offering Schwab Cups And Tourney To-Be-Named-Later To Remedy Ironclad Contract Nuisance

Ron Kroichick reports that the pesky "ironclad" PGA Tour contract with the City of San Francisco for a 2013 or '14 penultimate playoff event at Harding Park is leading to a new offer so that Conway Farms can host the BMW Championship in 2013.

"We've told all the parties the same thing throughout this dialogue: Look, we have a contract with the city of San Francisco to bring the penultimate playoff event there in 2013 or '14," tour executive David Pillsbury said Wednesday. "Until we are able to secure approval from the city to do otherwise, we plan on honoring our contractual agreement.

"We're hopeful, but it's not done until it's done. ... I think ultimately (the revised agreement) is good for the game of golf, for San Francisco and for Harding Park."

Rec and Park general manager Phil Ginsburg plans to soon bring the proposal, which includes another marquee PGA Tour event in 2017, '18 or '19, to the commission.

"We are in the process of finalizing an amendment that would move a tour playoff event to 2016 but also add two Schwab Cups," Ginsburg said.