The field is set and the course well manicured for this weekend’s PGA Barclay’s Tournament at Liberty National in Jersey City, N.J. I was there on Tuesday for the first day of practice and the field of talent is very strong. As a member of the media who has never covered a pro golf event, I was really looking forward to it. As an avid golfer, I wanted to observe the way these 125 players approach their drives, line up their putts and decided between distance or playing it safe.
The biggest names in golf are in New Jersey for the event, including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Y.E Yang and Sergio Garcia. They’ll certainly be challenged by Liberty National’s layout, especially the up-and-down greens. The course is so well put together that the driver boxes feature the same quality grass that most courses across the country use for their greens.
Here are 10 observations from Tuesday:
1. These guys practice a lot. I watched this year’s Master’s winner Angel Cabrera spend nearly an hour and a half on the driving range and practice green. Afterward, he hit the course for 18 holes, then returned to the green. This was definitely an eight hour day for some of the players.
2. The course is beautiful, and it better be with a $500,000 initiation fee. Liberty National has the perfect mix of long par-5s, challenging par-4s and a couple of short par-3s mixed in. There’s water lining several of the fairways and the fescue is messy. A good driver is a must at this course, but a stellar short game is even more important. I can definitely see the PGA awarding another tournament here.
3. I walked with Mickelson a little bit, who said he loves playing this course. Mickelson, a Liberty National member, also chatted with Tom Kite, the course’s designer, for a while and told him the same.
Speaking of Mickelson, he looks to be in great shape and seemed very personal with the fans. He signed many autographs and told those who didn’t get one that he’d be signing all weekend.
4. Bubba Watson can drive the ball. Watson, the PGA distance leader, hits the ball as cleanly as anyone out there. His shots just rocket off his club face. It didn’t matter if he was hitting an iron or a driver, the ball was going far.
5. If I had to select my favorite for this weekend, I’d go with Padraig Harrington. Harrington, a former winner of this tournament, was playing very well during his practice round. I walked a few holes with his crew and Harrington was spot on most of the time. The best I saw was him holing an eagle on a Par-5 (Hole 6, 548 yards) with a nice drive and a spot-on hit to the green using his hybrid.
6. No, Woods was not at the course on Tuesday. Several people were speculating that he had played early in the morning, as he usually does, but I can confirm that he did not.
7. PGA players do miss. I stood just a few feet away as some of the best in the game practiced their putting, and believe it or not, they don’t make every three-footer they take. They spend so much time trying to read the break correctly and keep putting until they have it mastered. I watched one spend over 30 minutes on the same three-foot putt.
On another note, I did hear one group of players on the second hole yell “fore” following a tee shot.
8. Ryan Moore comes into the Barclays off a win last weekend at the Wyndham Championship. The former can’t-miss college prospect hasn’t had as storied a career as was predicted, but he’s starting to find rhythm again. Moore, a quiet guy who has a style all his own on the course, could be a sleeper.
9. It was very, very hot out there. Bring sunscreen and a hat. You’ll definitely thank me.
10. Great job by the PGA all around. The media was well taken care of, everything was well organized and the folks there were very friendly. I look forward to covering more events in the future, including next year in Ridgewood.