It was a fitting Viking funeral on the water.
The Booz Allen Classic bade farewell to Washington fans with a torrent of rain that turned the hilly course into flash flood warnings. Ponds emerged on greens. A dog chased a cat and they were both swimming.
OK, just kidding about the last one. But there were plenty of people wondering why they braved the final day of a tournament that has more or less said “see-ya” to a town that did nothing but support the PGA Tour event.
Don’t believe the PGA Tour saying it might return. Sure, so could $1 gas prices. The PGA Tour won’t return until it needs Washington just like baseball’s return last year. Only when the PGA Tour has tapped out elsewhere will Washington somehow earn another chance to see the big boys of golf.
Don’t let the golf cart hit you on the way off the course.
Take your no-name players and head to Greensboro, N.C. or Memphis the week after the U.S. Open. See how well that goes. Washingtonians supported the Booz Allen and predecessor Kemper Open even though the best golfers rarely passed through, even then when it was played at Congressional.
Tiger Woods at lowly TPC at Avenel? You’d sooner see Dick Cheney at a Civil War re-enactment wearing gray.
No, the Booz Allen’s $5 million purse isn’t worthy of the Phil Mickelsons and Vijay Singhs. It seems $900,000 to the winner just doesn’t buy a heavyweight anymore.
The Booz Allen recently attracted obscure winners like Adam Scott, Rory Sabbatini and J.J. Henry, and still Washingtonians didn’t complain. They filled the fairway sidelines and paid $7 for a concession-stand burger.
So it seemed only fitting the final day turned into a washout because the PGA Tour is washed up in Washington. The vague promise of a return is an insult. We want a Douglas McArthur-type commitment of a return, not some mealy-mouthed pledge. Believe me, we know the sound of a campaign promise in this town.
The fans who came were gamers. They brought their BMWs and Mercedes onto the mud-soaked grounds that surely claimed a few by nightfall. They waited six hours after a planned 7 a.m. start to see Rich Beem nail the first drive into a green sea of muck. And we’re not talking about somewhere comfy to wait. Everything was outside and drenched.
That loyalty was returned by some great sportsmanship from the golfers, who shook hands with fans while heading to the practice greens and range. You could tell these men appreciated the fans.
Too bad the PGA Tour can’t say the same. They only appreciate our money. Thank goodness they’re not getting any more of it.
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
