They’re hoping for “a finish with fireworks.”
Those are the words of Brandt Hazen, the Tucson Conquistadores’ liaison to the PGA Tour, as he escorts a visitor around the rejiggered back nine of the Omni Tucson National Resort’s Catalina Course.
Holes 10-17 have been rerouted for the third Tucson Conquistadores Classic, which begins Friday morning. The changes are the brainchild of Shawn Carter, this year’s tournament chairman.The goal is to make the finishing stretch more fan-friendly — and exciting.
“I think the reroute is a great idea,” said Fred Funk, who has won nine PGA Tour Champions events and finished tied for 28th in last year’s Tucson Conquistadores Classic.
“It enables the spectators to see the finish in a really condensed area. It’s going to create a really good atmosphere, especially on Sunday.”
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Holes 15-18 are now on the same side of the wash that runs through the course. Two are par 5s, and three feature water hazards. The one that doesn’t is what’s now No. 16 — the par 3 that qualifies as Tucson’s version of a party hole.
“We’re not trying to copy Phoenix,” Hazen insisted, referring to the raucous 16th hole of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. “We’re trying to have fun with it.”
No. 16 used to be No. 12. One of the problems with that setup: The partying would wrap up well before the tournament ended. Now, it’s one of the final three holes, and spectators have quick, easy access to holes 17 and 18.
“Last year, you had to be a diehard fan to follow 15, 16 and 17 across the wash,” longtime local pro Don Pooley said. “The crowds are going to be much bigger. People can hang around and watch the finish.”
The finish could be volatile. The par 5s — three in all on the back nine — bring the possibility of eagles into play. The water, particularly on 18, brings the possibility of bogeys — or worse.
“I’m interested to see how it works out,” 2015 champion Marco Dawson said. “I know how the course plays the other way. We’ve still got to play all the same holes.”
At 50, van de Velde out to revitalize his game
Jean van de Velde glanced across the dais at his fellow golfers, all a little older and grayer than he.
“I don’t know what I’m doing here,” the Frenchman joked. “I’m so young compared to all of you.”
Van de Velde turned 50 last May. He is trying to revitalize his golf career and is playing in the Tucson Conquistadores Classic.
Few pro golfers have had an odder career arc than van de Velde, whose claim to fame — or infamy — is one of the biggest meltdowns in the history of major-championship golf.
Van de Velde mangled the 72nd hole of the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie, Scotland, triple-bogeying it to blow a three-shot lead. He ended up losing in a three-man playoff to Paul Lawrie.
Although the epic breakdown played out in front of millions of TV viewers andcost him a chance to win a major, van de Velde said he isn’t psychologically scarred.
“A major championship — you don’t want to lose those. So it was difficult to swallow. But at the end of the day, it’s part of the game. It’s part of life. You have challenges in life that are much more difficult to recover from than putting a ball in the water, I can promise you that.”Van de Velde accepts the fact that every person he meets asks him about Carnoustie. He handles those interactions with humor. For example:
Doesn’t it bother you that it’s the first line on your Wikipedia page?
“I don’t go to my Wikipedia page.”
It’ll probably be in the first paragraph of your obituary too.
“I won’t be here to read it.”
Van de Velde played in eight Champions Tour events last year after becoming eligible. He had been retired from playing for about seven years and spent the past five years running the European Tour’s Open de France.
Van de Velde played in the 2000 Touchstone Energy Tucson Open here, finishing in a tie for second. His best finish on the Champions Tour is a tie for 38th.
“I’m still a long way away,” van de Velde said, “but it’s getting there.”
Devil or Wildcat?
The winner of the 2000 Tucson Open was Jim Carter, who finished second in last year’s event. Carter attended Arizona State and lives in Scottsdale. His son, Shane, played rugby at the UA.“I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for Tucson, even though I’m a Sun Devil,” said Carter, who attended Arizona State and lives in Scottsdale. “I’m coming closer and closer to becoming a Wildcat.”
A member of the Conquistadores asked Jim Carter if he’d wear a UA hat Saturday, when the Wildcats are scheduled to play their second-round game in the NCAA Tournament (assuming they win Thursday).
“I could do that for you,” Carter replied with a smile.Funky weather
Asked for his recollections of Tucson, Funk recalled “the two coldest events I ever played on Tour,” including the ’01 Tucson Open, which was played in January and delayed by snow.
“You wouldn’t think that this week,” Funk said.
The forecast calls for temperatures in the 90s all three days of the tournament.
“The weather’s just a bonus for us,” Funk said. “It’s borderline hot. When you get our age, we like hot better than cold.”
