CHIP SHOTS

Greenbrier Classic

The PGA Tour is coming to West Virginia this week and it will be interesting to see how it works out. It will all unfold this week at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulpher Springs. While the Nationwide Tour has been stopping in Bridgeport for several years, but getting the big boys to play in West Virginia is no small feat.

Jim Justice recently purchased the Greenbrier and the coal magnate has been working non-stop to turn the venerable hotel and resort to its glory years, and then some. A brand new casino opened there this year and now the hotel and state of West Virginia will receive untold millions in advertising value as the Golf Channel and CBS broadcast the event live for a scheduled 12 hours. Pretty good stuff if you are a golf fan.

Even if you aren’t a golf fan, and live in that neck of the woods, this is a special event. Justice is going to make sure it is a big deal too. Big name music acts will be around during the weekend to play after the players are finished golf. One thing to keep an eye on here is if John Daly can focus on golf, or if he will end up on stage some evening playing with one of the acts, as has been the case in the past.

I mention Daly because he is one of the bigger names to be entered in the event. There will be no Tiger and Phil show playing in the Mountain State this week. Keep an eye on Daly’s Loudmouth pants too. There is a gold, blue and white argyle version that will cause WVU fans to approve should Daly choose to wear them. Of course with Justice being a Marshall guy, Daly may have to pass.

While Daly is a “name” in the field, it has been rare that his play has inspired crowds. So, Daly will serve as a draw this week in the absence of a few of the bigger names, but the field that will participate isn’t bad. That being said, Jim Furyk at five is the only top 10 ranked player in the world to attend. Next on the list would be Matt Kuchar at 24. There will, however, be winners of 10 majors in the event including Daly, Furyk, Davis Love, Justin Leonard, David Toms, Trevor Immelman and Lee Janzen.

Those of us who live here in the eastern panhandle and want to see the pros play have ample opportunity with a PGA stop available at Washington area venues Congressional or Avenel most years. This week the tour reaches some who have had a much more difficult time to find a way to watch golf’s elite ply their trade. Of course one of the big questions is just how many West Virginians will make it to the grounds to become part of the gallery.

When I saw a message a year ago that the Greenbrier had secured a PGA tournament for five years on the Old White course, my first thought was, great! Then my mind turned to questions of where are they going to house the fans and how are they going to get them to the grounds. There are very few hotel rooms in the immediate area. The Greenbrier Hotel, no doubt, is for players, tour officials and the extremely well heeled.

As a result, area resorts like Glade Springs, not too far away, and Snowshoe, further away, are marketing packages with bus travel to and from the event. No matter how you slice it, many patrons will need to be willing to deal with some significant travel issues to attend the tournament.

For me, my TV, or more accurately, my DVR will be my venue.