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PGA buzz word? Long

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By DOUG FERGUSON

The Associated Press

Published: August 13, 2009

CHASKA, Minn. - Paul Azinger pulled the driver from his bag because there really is no other option at Hazeltine. The sign post on the opening hole has two words and two sets of numbers that serve as a not-so-subtle welcome to the PGA Championship:

490 yards. Par 4.

If that's not enough, the wind was in his face.

A stream of fans were crossing the fairway about 200 yards off the tee, and as a marshal frantically waved his arms to stop the traffic, Azinger told him not to worry. He figured even he could keep the ball in the air that long, and he then ripped a shot that traveled well over their heads.

No need to put the cover back on the driver or any of the fairway metals for most in the PGA Championship.

The final major begins today, already in the record books without a single shot having been hit that counts on the card. Hazeltine National measures an official 7,674 yards, making it the longest course in major championship history.

The previous record was 7,643 last year at Torrey Pines for the U.S. Open. Before that, the record belonged to Medinah No. 3, which was 7,561 for the 2006 PGA Championship. And before that, it was 7,514 at Whistling Straits for the '04 PGA.

You get the picture.

"Looking forward to playing a major one day that does not promote itself as the longest ever," Geoff Ogilvy said on Twitter.

If that's the worst anyone can say, Hazeltine is doing much better.

Dave Hill brought plenty of attention to his course in the Minneapolis suburbs in the 1970 U.S. Open when he said, "All you need is 80 acres of corn and some cows." And he was runner-up.

The buzz word this week is long.

Scott Verplank, who is more on the short side of driving distance, was asked how many players could talk about Hazeltine without mentioning length or some variation of the word. "Zero," he said.

"The best hole on the course is No. 16, and it's the second-shortest hole," he said of the 402-yard signature hole that runs along Hazeltine Lake.

"The shortest one is No. 14, the one the same length as the par 3 before it."

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