PGA On Stimpmeter Speeds: "We don't give out a number. To be honest we don't think that's necessarily good"
/Fun stuff from today's PGA of America press conference where setup man Kerry Haigh worked very hard to avoid talking about specific green speeds. For a good reason.
Q. About the green speeds, are they about where you want them now, and is your philosophy to try to keep them in place throughout the championship, or to allow them to kind of naturally progress speed wise?
KERRY HAIGH: We are very happy that we are at championship speed today, pretty much all week, and very happy with them. Depending on the weather, there is a chance of rain this afternoon, so obviously we have to modify whatever our process is based on Mother Nature, which we always do. But no, I'm very happy with the greens.
The conditioning of this course is just unbelievable, and I could not be happier with it.
And then he came clean, to the delight of superintendents and professionals across the land:
Q. I want to know some numbers about green speed in the few days on this weekend, and can you talk about the big difference compared with the other three Majors, the course setups, the biggest difference?
KERRY HAIGH: The first question, I'm not sure the green speed?
Q. Can you tell some numbers of the green speed?
KERRY HAIGH: Championship speed. (Laughter).
Q. Can you tell me anything that you think it could be?
KERRY HAIGH: It's a speed that's appropriate to the greens that we feel is right. We don't give out a number. To be honest we don't think that's necessarily good for the overall country clubs out there; I don't. I think everyone hears a number and then everyone starts saying, well, we need it at this number. I think all clubs should set at a green speed that is appropriate for their play and the quality of their members and the slope of those greens. Throwing out numbers, I'm just not comfortable; so it's a green speed that is appropriate for a championship and the best players in the world.