Literally, the difference between the 2003 and 2004 editions of the 84 Lumber Classic was like night and day.
Last year, the remnants of Hurricane Isabel cast a dark and cloudy shadow over Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa, wiping out one day of play and generally dampening the spirit of the first-year event. The field was marginal, and the Mystic Rock course was defenseless.
As the 2004 Classic approached, what had already happened was referred to as a dress rehearsal, with the big show set to take place in late September.
And what a show it was.
With a tremendously improved field that included the No. 1 player in the world (thanks in no small part to the tireless efforts of John Daly spreading the good word on the PGA Tour circuit), a week's worth of weather so good that even Joe Hardy couldn't have conceived of, and a crowd that tripled the size of the one last year, a great week was had by all.
From a player's standpoint, the hospitality and accommodations are unparalleled. That alone will make for plenty of returnees in years to come.
But Vijay Singh, who signed a sponsorship deal with 84 Lumber a day before the start of the tournament, is confident the tournament has yet to reach its peak.
"I think you're going to get stronger and better fields in the future," Singh said. "We all enjoyed this tournament, I think every player out there did, with the way they looked after us. I think it's the best we've ever had."
Stewart Cink didn't come to Farmington in 2003, so he doesn't remember life at the 84 Lumber Classic without the opulent Falling Rock, built especially for this event. He also doesn't know Mystic Rock as it was when J.L. Lewis tore it up with a 62 on Sunday afternoon and finished at 22-under par last year.
"The course now is a fine test, it's got some really good variety, challenging, everything. It's a first-class venue," said the man who finished a shot behind Singh. "As far as the way they have gone out and really used hospitality and amenities and service to attract players, I think it's going to be impossible for the other tournaments not to, sort of, step up their game. All of the other tournaments have to come out and do something else to attract the field, especially the ones right around this time of year. I think this one is a great fall tournament."
Tournament executive director Bud Martin who, as senior vice president of SFX Sports, has been dealing with players and tournaments for 15 years, has heard nothing but good things as well.
"The facilities are the absolute best on the PGA Tour," Martin said. "If I heard it from one guy, I heard it from 144. They've never been treated so well with the genuine hospitality, the 'glad to have you here at Nemacolin' attitude. And that went from the guy who's delivering room service all the way to Joe Hardy
"I've been talking with some people at Tour headquarters on some other matters, and they tell me the buzz out of Farmington is that it's the gold standard now. They players are raving about how they were treated, how the event was run and organized and the Hardys commitment to the event."
While Cink believes the tournament to be a great fall event, if the Hardys have their way, the 84 Lumber Classic will become a great summer tournament. They know they were fortunate this year to have things fall their way: getting the No. 1 player in and signed, having great weather and having the impact of Hurricane Jeanne force the Steelers-Dolphins game moved to Sunday night. Over the long haul, having the tournament in the fall would make similar success difficult.
Joe Hardy met with PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem during the tournament and expressed his sincere desire to get the date changed. Finchem had to be impressed with what he saw at Nemacolin Woodlands, but how quickly that will result in a switch is unknown. Next year's dates are still unofficial, but the word is the 84 Lumber Classic will be played Sept. 15-18, right after the Bell Canadian Open and the week before the President's Cup.
Don't be surprised if the $4.2 million purse jumps over the $5 million plateau next year, meaning the winner will get approximately $900,000. With Singh committed to being a regular, Daly already being a regular and the whispers on the mountain being that Tiger Woods owes Daly and the Hardys one, the field could be even better next year. Better field, better purse, it seems to be a natural.
Mystic Rock, stretched to its maximum at 7,471 yards still didn't provide a stiff test for the players. Sixty of the 74 players who made the cut finished under par, not much of a testament to the difficulty of the course. But Mystic Rock is a resort course for the other 51 weeks of the year, and tournament officials have to tread a little lightly before making the kind of changes that might impact the sort of play that makes money for the resort.
"There are a few holes out there that just don't match the golf course," said Singh. "For instance, the 14th hole. It's downwind and you really don't know where to play. I think they have to relocate the bunker they put up there in the middle of the fairway.
"I think every player out there did not like the bunker. And a few other holes they could do with some bunkering. The left side of No. 1, left side of No. 2. Those would just make the course a little tougher off the tees. On the eighth hole, you can blow it any way you want it, and you still have a shot to the green. It's a great venue anyway, it will be a better venue."
Daly, who along with his agent, Martin, were the driving forces behind the Tour coming to Nemacolin Woodlands, also wants some changes. He'd like course designer Pete Dye to blow up the 12th green, a putting surface Daly despises.
"The course was pretty good," Martin said. "I heard some issues about some fairways being too wide, but (superintendent) Brian Anderson and his staff did a tremendous job of getting the course in the best shape it could be in. I really didn't hear anything significant. I would say the golf course stood up well."
Beyond that, the entire event stood up well. Actually, it was even better than well. There are many PGA Tour events that could pattern what they do after what the Hardys did last week.
