NCAA's move to have golf championships in Scottsdale is baffling

The NCAA blew it last week when it signed a contract to stage the 2020, 2021 and 2022 NCAA men’s and women’s golf championships at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale. Did anyone check the history of weather in the final week of May and first week of June in Scottsdale? It’s neither player-friendly nor fan-friendly. Worse, hundreds of volunteers required to operate the NCAA finals will spend eight hours a day in heat near 100 degrees. The NCAA held the 1972 NCAA men’s golf championships at Tucson National and the temperature on the first day was 105 degrees. The Star published a photograph of eventual winner Ben Crenshaw of Texas with future PGA Tour star Lanny Wadkins with the caption “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot.” Golf Channel and the NCAA struck gold when it changed the format of the championship, changing it to a more viewer-friendly team match play format. I suspect the Grayhawk Golf Club paid a small fortune to acquire the rights to be host but it will be an uncomfortable week for all involved.