When the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship takes place next week on the South Course at the Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain near Tucson, it will definitely one-up the FBR Open as Arizona’s premiere golf event.
Having the top 64 players in the world will do that. And, of course, having Tiger Woods, a player who has not competed at the FBR Open since 2001, will be the clincher.
About the only consolation in terms of bragging rights for the East Valley is that John Fought, who lives in Paradise Valley and works out of his office in Scottsdale, designed the South Course.
“It’s an honor,’’ said Fought of having his layout selected to host such a prestigious golf event. “I’m sure this being a new venue for (the PGA Tour), there will be a lot of talk about the golf course, and that’s exciting.’’
Fought refers to the South Course as “Pinehurst No. 2 in the desert.’’ That he actually went to Pinehurst and studied the famed golf course before he built the South Course, says a lot. That his design business has renovated several courses by Donald Ross, who created Pinehurst No. 2, also speaks volumes.
“I think what the players will find is a course that overall is very subtle, with the exception of the greens complexes, which are very complex and interesting,’’ said Fought, who has designed over 40 golf courses, including several with former partners Bob Cupp and Tom Lehman.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is that when the Tour came out to do their inspection, they didn’t really change a thing with the exception of adding a little length to a few tees. So I believe it’s going to be a very fair test of golf, which will favor the player who is playing his best.’’
The 53-year-old Fought knows golf. He won the 1977 U.S. Amateur, and played on the PGA Tour from 1978-85, winning twice. But when he couldn’t make enough money playing, he switched to design work.
“I knew I didn’t know anything about designing golf courses, so I first talked with (Jack) Nicklaus, who lined me up with Bob Cupp,’’ Fought recalled. “Really, you can’t go to school to learn how to build golf courses; you have to experience the process.’’
It was Fought and Lehman who built the first course at the Gallery – the North Course. And while the North is more elevated and bold in scope, the South was selected to hold the Match Play for other reasons, Fought said.
“(The South) has more risk-reward holes, which is tailor-made for match play,’’ explained Fought, pointing to holes 7, 10, 12, 16, 17 and 18 on the South. “And (the South) is very walk-able, with wide fairways that can handle the galleries once the fairways are mowed in.’’
According to the PGA Tour, the South will be stretched out between 7,450 to 7,550 yards. And with the green complexes mowed short, a la Pinehurst No. 2, accuracy will be at a premium. So will putting.
“I had a blast building the golf course, simply because the owner (John MacMillan) gave us a free hand to build what we wanted,’’ Fought said. “Now, it will be fun to see how the players do.’’
|
