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FedEx Cup Doesn't Need Heat Like This

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By MICK ELLIOTT, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 11, 2007

The news from this week's Tour Championship, the FedEx Cup playoff finale at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club where a $10 million bonus prize awaits the overall winner, could hardly be worse for the PGA Tour.

The greens are in such poor shape because of a summer heat wave that Wednesday's pro-am has been canceled, players will not be allowed to hit practice shots onto or putt on greens, and spectators are not being allowed on the course until Thursday's opening round.

It's an unprecedented move to essentially eliminate practice rounds before a tournament, and one made even more embarrassing by this being the long-awaited and spotlighted FedEx Cup conclusion.

The 30 players who qualified for the Tour Championship were notified of the situation at the BMW Championship when tour officials posted a two-page notice on lockers Sunday morning.

'All greens were impacted to varying degrees, and several greens are and will remain in poor condition through the tournament,' it said.

Players will be allowed to hit tee shots on every hole except the par 3s, and second shots only on the par 5s, as long as they don't reach the green. The notice specifically said players and their caddies can not walk on the greens, putt them or hit any shots to them.

To no great surprise, players did not take the news well.

'They've had all year to prepare for this tournament,' Robert Allenby said Sunday. 'To say that it's not ready is pretty disgusting, I think. Especially for a major event. I mean, this is what it's all about ... the FedEx Cup. It's coming down to the final event, and it's going to be a nonevent, because it could be Mickey Mouse golf.'

In its inaugural season, the FedEx Cup already has endured some rough spots, with players complaining about the late season being bottom-heavy with events, and having Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els skip one of the playoff weeks.

In hindsight, those issues appear miniscule compared to the damage done by a course ill-prepared to host a much-ballyhooed championship.

Tour officials blamed Atlanta's record temperatures of 90-plus degrees for 28 days in August, including 10 straight days at 100 degrees or higher. The area also went without rain for 25 straight days. But to suggest that Atlanta getting hot in August came as a surprise is almost as embarrassing as having a course with no grass.

'I've never heard of anything like that before,' Woods said. 'Certainly in my years on tour and my years in amateur golf and junior golf, I've never heard of it being canceled with good weather. This will be interesting to see.'

Els weighed in similarly.

'So for the tour to come to us and say after all this time there is a problem with the greens, it's kind of a shock,' he said. 'This is the FedEx Cup. A lot of money has been spent, the players have played their butts off to get to this point. To me, it's unacceptable.'

The problems began with the course's bent grass greens not standing up to the extreme summer heat. Tour agronomy officials have been on site for the past three weeks. Some greens may be completely lost. Some have been top-dressed, received extra water and extra ventilation. Some spots have been re-sodded.

The decision to prohibit practice rounds and cancel the pro-am is an effort to squeeze in extra time for the grass to grow.

'Our main concern is to have the course in the best condition for the tournament,' said Henry Hughes, executive vice president and chief operating officer for the PGA Tour. 'We felt this was the best decision to allow us a few more days to prepare the greens for the event.'

Tournament officials reportedly weighed the option of a last-minute move to an alternate site but judged it logistically impossible.

Reporter Mick Elliott can be reached at (813) 281-2534 or melliott@tampatrib.com.

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