BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. – Rees Jones, the golf architect who redesigned Oakland Hills for the 90th PGA Championship, has heard the grumbling from players saying the layout is too difficult.
“A lot of them aren’t too happy,” Jones said with a wry smile.
Ben Hogan nicknamed Oakland Hills’ South Course “The Monster” and that was after winning the 1951 U.S. Open. The adjectives were just as menacing after yesterday’s second round left just one player, J.B. Holmes, under par after 36 holes.
Rocco Mediate called it, “Nasty. Just nasty.”
Brandt Snedeker said, “It’s brutal. Absolutely brutal.”
And those were the comments suitable for print. Tough pin placements, blowing wind and drying greens combined for treacherous conditions that left Holmes, who shot a 2-under 68 yesterday, the only player in red numbers. It the first time since 1972 that only one player was under par in a PGA Championship after 36 holes. And that was also at Oakland Hills.
What makes it so difficult? Good drives land on slopes and roll into thick fairway rough, and the hard, crusty greens aren’t holding a thing, sending balls rolling past the cup. Even short putts on the Donald Ross greens are unpredictable because of the severe undulation.
Vijay Singh had a 13-foot putt for birdie on the ninth hole, but it broke left, caught the slope and wound up at the foot of the green, some 30-feet from the hole.
Sergio Garcia had a makeable putt at the par-4 17th, but left with a four-putt double-bogey.
The long-hitting Holmes, who won the FBR Open in Phoenix this year, helped himself by driving the green at the par-4 6th hole which played 300 yards. He then two-putted from 40-feet for one of his five birdies on the day.
“I knew if I hit a real good drive I would get on the green,” Holmes said. “It’s always nice to bounce back and make a birdie after a bogey (at the par-4 5th).”
One shot back at even par are Charlie Wi (70-70), Ben Curtis (73-67) and Justin Rose (73-67). Garcia (69-73) is at 2-over and Phil Mickelson is 3-over (70-73).
“It’s a hard course, but this is a major,” Garcia said. “It’s not supposed to be easy. We’re pushed to the limit and bad things can happen at any time.”
Obviously, Curtis wasn’t among those complaining.
“I understand where players are coming from,” said Curtis, who had just one bogey on his card. “You just have to accept it. You don’t have to like it. You’ve just got to accept it and try hard on every shot and try to hit every shot to the best of your ability and see what happens.”
Perhaps more players should have been like British Open champion Padraig Harrington, who blamed himself for his 4-over 74 yesterday that left him 5-over for the tournament.
“I did my best to be ready for the week, but clearly I’m not,” Harrington said. “The harder I tried the worse it got. I haven’t got the focus this week. Obviously, I’m still just having a hangover after winning the Open.”
With the cut at 8-over, just about everyone still playing today has a chance to win. Maybe that will stop the grumbling.