T he Fi na l Word
Southern Hills was worth the wait A
s a native ous night. We descended the giant grand- situated near Cedar Ridge Country Club Texan, it stand behind the 18th green and scurried at the house of Tim January’s sister-in-law pains me down to the 13th tee and 12th green. It was and had dinner at a nearby trendy grill. The greatly to say this, too crowded so I split from the others and food was delicious and there was a Brandel but I must. Our great found an unobstructed view of the 18th Chamblee sighting. On Sunday, we were at the course early state has many fine green and clubhouse from the low point of for a full day of immersing ourselves in golf courses but noth- the 18th fairway. I was mesmerized as I stared at the green Southern Hills and a riveting tournament, ing that compares to atop the giant hill fronting the clubhouse. aided greatly by breakfast, lunch and snacks Southern Hills CounPat Wheeler try Club. That admis- I felt as if I were in heaven or in a dream. in the clubhouse. Did I mention these were sion is mitigated by the thought that very Who, pray tell, could possibly hit a shot long very good tickets? So good were these tickets that twice enough and high enough to reach the green few states do. I found myself in places perhaps where I A week after seeing Southern Hills for hovering in the distant leaden sky? should not have the first time at the been. On Saturday, 2022 PGA ChamI inadvertently went pionship, I am still into the player’s a little gaga about locker room, not the course. But let knowing my locame explain. tion until I bumped For more than into Keegan Brad50 years, I have ley. Then Sunday, wanted to play or after breakfast, in see Southern Hills. an attempt to get I first became aware to the front nine, of the course in 1970 I walked past the while playing in the first tee announcer Te x a s - O k l a h o m a and the WanamakJunior tournament er Trophy sitting in Wichita Falls and prominently on a Arnold Palmer flew My first trip to legendary Southern Hills was one I will always appreciate. pedestal. in from Tulsa to Ultimately I saw every hole on the course Southern Hills – I had to pinch myself. conduct a clinic attended by some 5,000. It was on the eve of the PGA Championship. Designed by Oklahoma’s Perry Maxwell, and as I have pondered why Southern Hills Palmer was at the height of his popu- the course is much like Augusta National in is so challenging, I have concluded a big larity and desperately wanted to win the that TV does not do justice to the severity of part of its difficulty is there are no letup or only major to have eluded him. He fell just the slopes. But the hills of Augusta National pushover holes. We lingered at the conflushort to winner Dave Stockton and now, are more gradual than the big one at South- ence of the 5th green and 6th tee and then 52 years later, I was on my way to see the ern Hills that is akin to Mount Kilimanjaro. the 6th green and the 7th tee, both fun and That opinion did not change after two days interesting junctions. On the back nine, we 2022 tournament. spent a lot of time near the 13th green and The trip to Tulsa and the PGA was a gift and five trips up the precipice. Soon, Bubba Watson and Justin Thomas 17th tee. The 17th was pivotal in the playoff from a former winner, 92-year-old Don January of Dallas. His oldest son Tim, a good came past me with Bubba in the fairway but because it was driveable and Thomas found friend, invited me to join his son Sean and some 30 yards short of Thomas in the left the green while Zalatoris did not. There was one final climb at 18 and then friend John Murray for late Saturday and all rough. Watson hit a long iron into the stratoday Sunday. We quickly learned we were in sphere that shook me from my reverie and the drive back to Dallas. The reviews of though I could not see the ball on the green, Southern Hills have been universally good for a treat. It was about 3 in the afternoon Saturday the huge gallery assured me that it indeed and the PGA is sure to continue having its when we arrived. There was absolutely no had found the putting surface. Thomas did championship here in the future. Gil Hanse traffic to get to our parking place, a mere 50 not fare so well with his hybrid shot from has received deserved praise with one brilthe gnarly rough, finding one of the giant liant feature - the lack of defined tee boxes yards from the clubhouse. The tickets and the parking were courtesy bunkers left and short of the green. He bo- so that the markers can be placed according of the PGA of America because we were geyed 18 on Saturday but he showed brava- to purpose. With that in mind, it would be a dream guests of a former champion. The PGA do on Sunday with his clutch win in a threecome true for me to play this masterpiece hole playoff over Dallas’ Will Zalatoris. knows how to honor its winners. Saturday evening we enjoyed our drive one day - hopefully at about 5,500 yards. After parking, we were soon out onto the course in some overcast and blustery cool through beautiful Tulsa with its hills, trees Pat Wheeler is a long-time golf writer in Texas. weather that had just blown in the previ- and a meandering Arkansas River. We got 46
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