Rain could help PGA tourney at Southern Hills
Rain could help PGA tourney at Southern Hills

"We sure never expected to get this much rain,” said Russ Myers, the course superintendent at Southern Hills. "It's kept players off the course, which could help in the end. It's letting the rough grow out, which could present more of a challenge during the tournament.”

The tournament will be played Aug. 9-12.

"This course drains really well in general,” said Ryan Jordan, the PGA Championship tournament director. "There is a lot of water that runs through the course, and those creeks carry the water away. The big concern is how the greens are going to be.”

Those greens, though, have been helped by a drainage system that was installed when the course was renovated in 1999.

The PrecisionAire system can be used to both vacuum water away from the greens' delicate root structure and pump oxygen into the greens.

"Without that, there might be some concern,” Jordan said.

Because of the rain, heat hasn't been much of a problem.

"I came in much more concerned about the heat,” Myers said. "But it's been a really mild summer temperature-wise.”

While the course has held up, construction on temporary tents and floors needed for the tournament has slowed.

"It's actually nice for them, since it hasn't been as hot,” Jordan said. "But we had built-in rain days to the schedule, so we should be fine.”

The PGA Championship is the first major Southern Hills has hosted since the 2001 U.S. Open. The course has also hosted the PGA Championship in 1994, 1982 and 1970.

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