The PGA may not return to Washington until 2009 if nearly $20 million in renovations to TPC at Avenel gain permit approval by year’s end.
PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem said during a teleconference Wednesday the tournament has no firm date or sponsor for 2007 and a two-year renovation could sideline the event locally until 2009. A hearing with Montgomery County officials on July 21 will address the permits, though no decision is expected for several months.
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If renovations occur in 2007, the tournament would not be held at Avenel. Finchem did not suggest an alternate location.
“In the event that we are not successful in placing Washington in the fall calendar in 2007 … we will nevertheless complete work on the club and look for opportunities downstream to bring an annual event back to Washington,” he said.
The Booz Allen Classic has already been moved from the 2007 FedEx Cup schedule, which will stretch from May to September. The tournament will likely be played in October.
Davis’ international exposure
Brian Davis stood on the 10th tee, not entirely ready for the task before him. Davis, a British pro who’s currently 89th on the money list, looked down at his scorecard and saw the raw numbers. Before him was a par 4, 374-yard hole, featuring Rock Run Creek on the left and a right-to-left dogleg near the green.
Then Davis took a second look at the scorecard and realized the hole was the least of his worries.
Before he could tee off, he would first have to figure out how to pronounce his playing partners’ names.
“You’re going to have to help me out,” Davis said as he introduced himself to Hiroyki Sawada, Masayuki Yamada, Toshio Nagashima and Kentaro Uryu, his partners for Wednesday’s pro-am.
Starter Mark Bader, a volunteer from Germantown, was then given the honor of pronouncing the names.
The group got off to a rocky start – one player’s ball kicked off the edge of the creek before bouncing some 40 feet into the air and landing in the trees; another hit a ball off the cart path.
Caddying within the family
Most caddies at Avenel work for the money. Then again, most are bigger than the bags they carry.
So it was an unusual sight to see Nick Lindsay, 12, of Belle Haven, Va., carrying the bag of his father, Chris, during the pro-am.
Nick said he had never caddied before and added he was letting his dad choose most of the clubs. The duo was part of 19-year Tour veteran Billy Andrade’s group.
But like a veteran caddy, Nick Lindsay was looking forward to the eventual payday. He flashed a big smile when asked about potential for a big tip at the end of the round.
