The 2016 PGA: Baltusrol In July, Major And Olympic Preview!

So soon after The Open--particularly one we'll never forget--and at a parkland course short on memorable holes, and played in July to accommodate America's obsession with football, all adds up to make it hard for many including the SI/golf.com gang to get excited about the 2016 PGA Championship.

From the roundtable:

Bamberger: Yes, the PGA risks getting overlooked. But this year less than others. It's the lead up to the Olympics!

Shipnuck: You jest, Michael, but it will add a little extra juice and another needed talking point. We all know the PGA is the least prestigious of the majors, and as long as it’s going to boring tracks like Baltusrol, that won’t change. But the Olympics are the de facto 5th major this year—Sorry Players—and will continue the mojo for this blockbuster summer.

Bamberger: I don't jest. Not about this!

Shipnuck: Good, because these Olympics are life and death. Perhaps literally!

Ritter: Only if you drink the water in Rio, Alan! (Or, leave your hotel.) As for the PGA, Balty has produced some great winners, including Phil in ‘05 and Jack twice. If it gets a few high-wattage names in the mix on Sunday, it'll draw its share of eyeballs, even in a busy summer.

Probably more than had the event been moved to the early fall to help with the congested schedule. But football won that match before it even teed off.

David Fay filed some terrific Golf Digest thoughts on the history of Baltusrol and what makes it such a great club, even if you find the course a little uninspired on TV. And he addresses that silly wall installed by Robert Trent Jones at No. 4. **See Rick Wolffe's much appreciated clarification on the wall in comments below.

Alan Pittman offers this black and white photo tour of the club.

Comments

[Pat(another one)]

"another needed talking point." And the speaker of this phrase thinks he's the one qualified to call others point-missers.

He's among the very few who care about whether or not there are "talking points."

[John Matthew IV]

Geoff: You have the wrong link for the Roundtable.

Try this one:
http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/tour-confidential-tours-drug-policies-pga-championship-preview

[ChuckDietzenTNnotIN]

The SI boys may not be excited, but I am. It's a major, being played on a historic course that has hosted a major numerous times (even a more "prestigious" one, the US Open). Sorry if Alan and Michael have to suffer through reporting from the boring Baltusrol grounds this weekend. I would gladly take their place.

[Tighthead]

So Passov thinks that the Open Sunday lacked something because of no Tiger? He is a Tiger fan, not a golf fan.

[Convert]

Golf media can not diminish a Major Championship, no matter how hard they try.

[Sari]

I am with the Golf Roundtable boys: Baltusrol, while historic and major-worthy, falls in the Oak Hill/Oakland HIlls/Winged Foot bucket of major sites that just don't excite when you see them on TV. I recognize I may be in the distinct minority here.

[PA PLAYA]

I'll be there Friday. My first-ever experience with attending a major championship! Can't wait.

PS - those who know the layout - where's a good spot to spectate? I've got plantar fasciitis and have limited mobility... any advice as to where a good location on the course to post myself for the day would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[BrianS]

@ Sari - I'm not sure if the venue is exciting or not, but I think the pedigree of the course goes a long way towards giving credibility and perspective on whoever the winner is. Personally, I like parkland style courses like this one and the others you mentioned, and I think it add a nice piece to the puzzle in terms of this year's majors. They kind of got lucky that Oakmont no longer fits into that mold, so it is differntiated from the US Open to some extent.

I am going against the grain here, but I think the compressed schedule will actually enhance the PGA's media exposure - after all the drama of the Open Championship/The Open/The British Open, golf is still fresh in the mainstream media and it is a good time to capitalize on that. Also, a BIG plus is that football, both college and pro, has not started camp or preseason yet, and we are still in the media dead zone. Talk radio and ESPN need content right now, and it is a good time to be staging a big event.

[Real Talker]

The PGA was played in July more because the other viable options (late August) would interrupt the FedEx Cup or (May) change the order of the majors. If the organizers were smart, they'd schedule the 2020 tournament either opposite the Olympics or cut into the FedEx Cup. Let's really see how "overrated" the players and viewers think it is.


Of course the liberal, worthless, hack writers all took the side of the degenerates and criticized North Carolina for wanting to promote sane bathroom policies. Because society is best served when Bruce Jenner can take a dump next to your five-year-old daughter or something. Either way, the groupthink shows the general uselessness of the media. No original thoughts: Olympics=good, PGA Championship=overrated, golf=too old-fashioned, fashionable liberal social policy=civil rights issue of our day. Because that's what your readership wants. Someone needs to give Shipnuck a lifelong ban from opining about golf.

[Real Talker]

More realtalk...The PGA holds its tournament on a variety of different courses in different conditions with different set ups; unlike the Masters (which is held on the same course every year), the U.S. Open (which is set up the same way every year), or the British Open (which is held on the same type of course every year). I guess the U.S. Open is trying to expand to other types of courses/set ups--but after the disaster which was 2015 Chambers Bay it hasn't really worked out for them.

The current crop of PGA courses include traditional northeast tree-lined country clubs (Oak Hill, Baltusrol); open, links-like courses near the water with lots of sandy hazards (Whistling Straits, Kiawah); and a combination of courses new and old (Valhalla vs. Oakland Hills). Good looking courses with risk/reward holes and great drama.

If you don't like this year's PGA site, wait till next year because it will probably be more to your taste. This isn't necessarily the case for the other majors--which aren't too creative or thoughtful in their course rotations.

[Persimmonious]

This compression of the Major schedule will happen again in four years, and hopefully (if you're an Olympic golf fan) every four years after that. I think we can agree it's less than ideal, so have the relevant governing bodies (notably the US PGA) given thought to moving the Ryder Cup back to odd-numbered years?

[Ian McAlister]

From outside of the U.S the USPGA championship is very much the least of the four majors. The USPGA had a chance to differentiate itself and grow its prestige this year. They could have held the championship outside the U.S at Royal Melbourne,Kingston Heath or somewhere else outside of the U.S and UK. This combined with picking a new date probably earlier in the year would have finally given the tournament the boost it has needed since it switched from match play to stroke play.

[Take tech out of the game]

AFter this week, I have to wait until next April to get excited about championship golf again. It is a shame that the season is over so soon this year.

[BrianS]

If they get some combination of Mickelson/Rory/Speith/Day stocked leaderboard on Sunday, this major in terms of public awareness will be just fine. In the USA, this month is the absolute lowest point for team sports - The Tour De France was even on NBC yesterday. The players will be fine. Can anyone give one reason why waiting 3 weeks with the Bridgestone and 2 low wattage tour events in the middle helps the PGA in terms of exposure ?

If Phil is in the running over the weekend, you might see record (non Tiger category) ratings for it.

[HBL]

@Realtalker - I had no idea that Baltusrol was a bathroom in North Carolina. Thanks for clearing that up.

[Persimmonious]

I suspect that the PGA would be very welcome in late October or early November. Headquartered as they are in Florida, golf's American governing bodies may not realize how popular a little summer nostalgia would be in states like New York, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois around that time of year.

The problem, of course, is venue. The traditional, prestigious courses are mostly in "bent grass territory" in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, etc. where oftentimes any golf, much less excellent golf, has gone into hibernation.

Maybe an early November PGA is a good way to higlight excellent courses in Geoff's beloved California, as well as negelected classics down in Texas and Florida?

[Press Agent]

@ PA PLAYA - enjoy yourself!!
I don't have any advice, never been there.

[Pat(another one)]

Persimonious, you are forgetting one thing, and that is daylight. Very hard to get 156 players around in a day when there is only about 12 hours of daylight, maybe less.

Ian McAllister, I'll support your point about the PGA if you support me saying the Tour De France should take place in Canada next year. Not a stage or two, all of it.

[Persimmonious]

Pat(another one), I think the potential value of this strategic shift is worth the tactical tradeoff of a smaller field or added Saturday cut.

[Persimmonious]

Besides, think how it would bolster the year-round schedule! Previously uner-watched Fall Season events turn into Major-qualifiers!

[Ian McAlister]

@Pat
It's the USPGA not the PGA that organization is in the UK. Golf did not start in Florida. There was talk of taking the tournament outside of the U.S. from the highest level of the PGA of America. Supposedly they talked with officials at Royal Portrush and Royal Melbourne. Hopefully one day the European tour will stop co-sanctioning the tournament like they did with the WGC this year.

[Bill(this one)]

@Ian,
Actually, "the PGA" is correct. The PGA Tour is the other organization. What do you think of Pat's idea to hold the Tour de Fance in Canada?


Baltusrol has hosted the US Open Championship 7 times, the PGA Championship 2 times (including this week), the US Amateur 4 times, and other USGA events 4 times, and Shipnuck wants to characterize the place as "boring"? What an idiot.

[Ian McAllister]

@Bill
The PGA is the Professional Golfers Association it was started in 1901 in the UK. The PGA of America was started in 1916. The PGA of America conducts the USPGA championship.

[Griffin]

The PGA of America conducts the PGA Championship. There is no such event as the 'USPGA championship'.

[Truth in Advertising]

Did the Sports Illustrated guys talk about while the Open Championship Match Play was entertaining, the final ratings weren't as good as first reported. And lower than FOX's ratings at the U.S. Open? Thought not

[Ian McAllister]

Outside of the U.S the tournament is largely know as the USPGA. I believe that this is an accurate term because the championship was created to be the championship of the members of the PGA of America. Tournaments frequently style themselves as one thing when they are clearly another. For example would you call the tournament played at the Colonial County Club The Colonial or the Dean & DeLuca Invitational.

@Truth in Advertising
Were the higher ratings for the U.S open vs the Open just in the U.S or worldwide? Worldwide does the Open get higher ratings?

[Truth in Advertising]

Ian,

This from U.S, company TVS... In a reversal from the overnights, Sunday’s final round trailed that of the U.S. Open on FOX in June (3.4, 5.1M).

Guessing they were just talking U.S.. My point was Geoff sang the praises of the ratings on behalf of his employer. Facts that show he was wrong seem to be ignored

[Griffin]

Well those who call it that worldwide would be wrong as it is called the PGA Championship, period. Plus that is what it has always been called unlike the British Open, Open Championship or just The Open as they have recently gone to. And it is the first PGA Championship as far as I can tell (British PGA not contested til the 1950s nearly forty years after the PGA Championship was first played in 1916. It's not about when the organizations were founded it's about when the events were first played and what they are and have been called. It's just plain wrong and more than a little arrogant to not refer to it by its correct name.

And the Dean and Deluca Invitational is not a major thus they can call it whatever they like.

[Ian McAllister]

@Griffin
The Masters was originally called the Augusta National Invitational. It was changed to create more buzz against the wishes of Bobby Jones. Majors are created not born into existence fully formed. They have a sort of amorphous identity that was created through marketing, popularity with the public, sanctioning, and the powers of the representative organizations. For many years the USPGA championship clashed with the Open dates. And it wasn't until the 90's that the top European players played in the tournament. Sandy Lyle rarely appeared in the event during his glory years. I along with the international press believe that the name is USPGA more apt. Because it is the championship of the PGA of America. Just as we acknowledge that The Masters is more apt than the Augustan National Invitational.

[Griffin]

@Ian...you may think it's more apt but tha doesn't make it so. Are you saying that 'the international press' should get to call events by something other than there actual title if they feel it is more apt? That's even more arrogant than I thought.

How about just call it by the official title and leave it at that.

[Truth in Advertising]

I agree with Ian. Go ahead and call it The Masters, The U.S. Open, the USPGA and The British Open

[Ian McAllister]

@Griffin
I guess we should just use the corporate names(official titles) for all the tournaments then. How many Dean and Delucas did Ben Hogan win again?
@Truth
Ha! Don't talk rubbish!

[BrianS]

@ Ian - I'm sorry, you are wrong here, the name of the Tournament is the PGA Championship. Always has been, look at the Trophy. If you want to refer to it as the USPGA, that's your prerogative, but it would be wrong. As far as the event that is conducted by the R&A each year, I try and call it by the name that they happen to be using - currently "The Open",

Ps. Speaking of sponsorship, isn't the event at Wentworth the "BMW PGA Championship " ? You want us to call it that ?

[Griffin]

@Ian...he didn't win any he won 5 Colonial Invitational's. The only winner of the Dean and Deluca Invitational is Jordan Spieth this year.

How many USPGA's has Davis Love III won? The answer is none he has won one PGA Championship. That is what it has always been called.

And other than for some arcane tax reason calling the PGA Championship a corporate name like the Honda Classic or the Aberdeen Assets Management Scottish Open is a stretch.

It shouldn't be for journalists (even the 'international press') to decide what is apt to call an event they should call it by it's name, period.

[Truth in Advertising]

Griffin,

Sadly you are wrong. The PGA TOUR media guide next year will list EVERY champion of that event as a winner of the Dean and Deluca Open

[Ian McAllister]

@Griffin
I think you are in the minority opinion here. Jordan Speith and Ben Hogan won the same tournament The Colonial. Speith will be added to the wall of champions just like Ben and Arnold Palmer. Tournaments have a life outside of whatever corporate sponsor happens to have paid at that moment. I think if you asked ANY of the champions of that event they would say they won The Colonial not whatever sponsor name was tacked on at the time.

@BrianS
I think the name of the event should represent what the event is. Not what the organizers or sponsors would like it to be. In the case of the BMWPGA British PGA or European PGA would be appropriate.

[RW]

Geoff, hate to correct an errata in your post, but the masonry stone wall referred to as being "installed by Robert Trent Jones at No. 4" was NOT installed by Robert Trent Jones. In fact it was installed under one of the Club's president's in the mid 1980s.

The original wall was a non-masonry stone wall constructed to replace rotting timbers sometime in the early 1930s...by the 1980s this original stone wall was collapsing into the pond and was replaced with current masonry wall.

I may agree with David to some extent that the cleaner look of the masonry wall is too clean a look for my likes...but as designed by Tillinghast there was always a wall there and not a grass slope or bank into the pond.

[Griffin]

@Truth@Ian...I'm very aware of how the Tour handles these things and it's stupid how they retroactively change these things but that is not what was asked. When Hogan won it was called something different than when Spieth won even though it is the same event. And until this year Colonial was always in the title in some way so yes the winners have said they won 'The Colonial' plus that is the name of the course so that probably isn't the best example for your argument.

Who gets to decide what the event represents Ian? Is it the 'international press'? I'm sorry but that is ridiculous once again how about calling all events by their official names even we may not like it or think it is apt.

[Bill(this one)]

@Ian,
This is an American blog and the PGA Championship is an American major conducted by the PGA, an American organization. Don't be coming on here and trying to force your deluded notions and semantics onto us Americans. If you feel compelled to pursue that faulty line of reasoning take it elsewhere please.

@Truth in Advertising,
If you are so naive to let the PGA Tour (a different organization from the PGA) dictate your thinking, well, I feel bad for you. That event is and always be, The Colonial. Ditto the LA Open, the Clambake, Bay Hill, The Memorial, etc...take control of your own thoughts man, don't let the PGA Tour own them!

[Kroe14]

@PA PLAYA. I was there the Saturday round in '05. There is a par 3 on the back. I think 14 or 15. You can sit on a hill by the green that also has a vantage point for players teeing off on the adjacent par 4 that runs perpendicular. I found it to be great.