West Virginia tourney to move to July Fourth
Oriented to the military and based in Washington, the AT&T National seemed to have a perfect date on the PGA Tour calendar: July Fourth. But in 2012, the slot will be occupied by the upward-trending Greenbrier Classic.
In two short years, West Virginia billionaire Jim Justice has not only taken giant steps in restoring the Greenbrier Resort in his home state to its illustrious past, he’s also established one of the more distinctive events on the PGA Tour.
While the AT&T National hopes to land a better date to attract top players, Justice sees only opportunity in the Greenbrier Classic’s move from the last week in July to the first.
| UP NEXT |
| Greenbrier Classic |
| When » Thursday-Sunday |
| Where » Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. |
| TV » Golf Channel, CBS |
| . |
| FIVE TO WATCH |
| 1. Phil Mickelson » With most of Europe’s best players in this week’s Irish Open, Mickelson is the top-ranked player (No. 6) in the field. He is coming off a runner-up finish at the British Open and will play the first two rounds with Tom Watson and Stuart Appleby. |
| 2. Stuart Appleby » Last year’s winner at the Greenbrier brought plenty of exposure to the first-year event when he fired a final-round 59 to win. It was the fifth time a player broke 60 in a PGA Tour event. Appleby has struggled lately, making just one cut in his last 12 starts. |
| 3. John Daly » After missing the cut in nine of 13 events, Daly posted his first top 10 in five years last week at the Canadian Open. Daly seeks momentum heading into the PGA Championship, where he will celebrate the 20th anniversary of his improbable win at Crooked Stick in 1991. |
| 4. Tom Watson » Watson will miss the U.S. Senior Open after playing in it all 11 years he has been eligible. Watson is still a factor in Champions Tour events. He won the Senior PGA, a Champions Tour major, this year. His last PGA win came at the 1998 Colonial. |
| 5. Sergio Garcia » After top-10 finishes in the U.S. and British Opens, Garcia is ready to win again despite his balky putting. He ranks 172nd on tour in strokes gained-putting. His last PGA Tour win came at the 2008 Players in a playoff against Paul Goydos. |
“It’s huge in a lot of ways,” Justice, 60, told reporters at Greenbrier Classic Media Day. “If you think about it, the Greenbrier, America’s resort, [we’re] playing the tournament on America’s holiday. Our fireworks celebration here is unbelievable.”
According to Justice, the Greenbrier Presidential Express, a luxury rail transporting guests from Union Station in the District to the resort in White Sulphur Springs, will be ready for its “inaugural runs right about that time.”
When the tournament tees off Thursday, it will include golf’s top draw — at least in the absence of Tiger Woods — Phil Mickelson. Also in the field is 61-year-old Tom Watson, Greenbrier’s pro emeritus, who is surrendering a chance to compete in the most prestigious event on the Champions Tour, this week’s U.S. Senior Open.
“There wasn’t any question whether I was going to play this year. I felt bad about not playing here the first year,” Watson told reporters Tuesday. “I felt like I let Jim down.”
The Greenbrier Classic has made an instant impression by providing a unique tour stop experience for players and fans. It includes nightly concerts, luxury accommodations and casino gambling.
As for children, Mickelson said his kids enjoyed bungee swinging and laser tag.
“My daughters are excited about the falconry. I don’t know where in the world you can do that,” Mickelson said. “We’ll do some whitewater rafting, too. It just really is a fun place. The golf is a bonus.”
The 6-foot-7, 350-pound Justice, a former golfer at Marshall University, is thinking big. In April, he visited the Masters to pitch the idea of the Greenbrier hosting the 2017 Presidents Cup. Justice also has his sights set on landing a major championship.
To do that, he’ll probably have to build a new golf course. Last year the pros burned up the Old White Course, which plays to a par 70 and finishes on a par 3. Winner Stuart Appleby fired a final-round 59 on his way to a 22-under 258, which matched the lowest four-round score last year on the tour. Old White has been lengthened to 7,210 yards to prevent another such torching.
Another impressive number from last year’s Greenbrier Classic was the attendance. The tournament drew 178,500, nearly 40,000 more than the AT&T National drew in its inaugural year at Congressional Country Club with Woods in the field.
With Mickelson and Watson in the field, the Greenbrier figures to be more successful this year.
“It’s a quest to put on the greatest event the world and the PGA Tour has seen,” Justice said.
