David Feherty believes playing golf without fans is harder
Dan Jenkins, we need you.
The 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge is one of those moments we need golf’s greatest historian, and funniest funny man, to put this event in its proper perspective.
Of course, Mr. Jenkins is no longer will us, God rest his soul.
Part of me thinks DJ would have gently gelded his country club, Colonial, for agreeing to hold its annual PGA Tour event without fans, while celebrating the return of the game that he loved as much as a root beer float.
Without Dan, I reached out to the game’s other brilliant funny man, and golf historian, Sir David Feherty. I don’t think Feherty, a native of Northern Ireland, has been knighted because the queen is stupid.
Feherty has one of those voices that if he reads the ingredients on a box of Cheerios it would make you laugh and lift your spirits.
Feherty was kind enough to answer a few questions to talk about the return of PGA Tour golf, and the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge.
Star-Telegram: In terms of historical perspective, would the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth register as one of the most important golf tournaments in the history of Texas?
David Feherty: It’s important if you just look at the strength of the field. Look at how many of the top players in the world who are coming. (It’s 16 of the top 20.) Other than majors, you don’t see that much. Most of these top players have not played since August. They are itchy, and they want to scratch it.
S-T: Any idea what to expect how this tournament will actually play?
DF: No. No one knows what it will look like. There is such an unknown quantity to this.
S-T: Will be harder, or easier, for a PGA Tour pro to play a round of competitive golf without fans?
DF: It will be harder. If you look at the Ryder Cup, which I know is a little bit unusual, but you see the most amazing golf because so much of the energy comes from the crowd.
There will be none of the adrenaline that the players get from the reaction from a shot. To play in silence makes it harder. Guys will a shot and rather than play off the crowd and feel that excitement, it’s just going to be quiet. For most of these guys it will be like the last time they played a round of college golf.
S-T: Do you expect players to possibly be off on the first nine or so holes because of the extended layoff?
DF: I really don’t expect scores to be that high. I’d expect the players from the Korn Ferry Tour tournament to pop up early. The other thing is the miserably [bleeping] torturous heat is going to affect players. It’s June and it feels like August.
S-T: Because of equipment has Colonial become easier for today’s player?
DF: Well, it’s still a test. Ben Hogan said it best, “No place in America a straight ball gets you into more trouble.” That hasn’t changed. The standard of play today, it’s just a different game. It’s an evolution of the sport. Golf is no different than basketball or any other.
The players are just better today than they were 20 or 30 years ago.
S-T: We see winning scores continue to be in the minus-15 to minus-19. There are few courses where the winning score is around par, or minus-2 or minus-3. Would you rather see these players really challenged where a par is worth celebrating, like the U.S. Open?
DF: I do very much enjoy watching a course that is a challenge for the top players. I do. There is a place for that, but you don’t want to see that every week. Golf is the hardest game in the world, and it can make every player look like an idiot.
S-T: There is some concern among event organizers that top players will come to this event, and because it’s empty they may not have a favorable experience and thus may not return. Is that a valid concern?
DF: That is sort of an annual paranoia for a lot of tournaments — that their course is going to look stupid. You see that in a lot of older courses in the United States. I hope they don’t change it. I hope they don’t alter it. A low score it not an insult to the course.
