By Ron Green Jr.
Posted: Thursday, Apr. 29, 2010
Weather forecast
It's expected to be close to ideal. Today's forecast calls for mostly sunny skies with relatively light winds and a high near 78 degrees. It's expected to be warmer Friday with temperatures in the low 80s.
Chip shots
Phil Mickelson is hopeful he can play today after being forced to withdraw from the pro-am Wednesday because of food poisoning. Mickelson was ill Tuesday night after arriving in Charlotte but tried to play his afternoon pro-am round.
He made it six holes before receiving medical attention. He was given intravenous fluids and spent Wednesday evening resting. He is scheduled to tee off at 12:50 p.m. today.
There has been plenty of talk over the years about the difficulty of Quail Hollow's "Green Mile," the three-hole finishing stretch that ranked as the most difficult on the PGA Tour last year.
Here's another way to measure its challenge:
Over the years, Mickelson and Tiger Woods have played the first 15 holes at Quail Hollow a total of 100 under par (Mickelson is 57 under, Woods is 43 under).
On the last three holes, they are a combined 32 over par (Mickelson is 23 over, Woods nine over).
Mickelson has made double-bogey or worse four times on holes one through 15 but he has six doubles or worse on the last three holes, including four doubles on the watery par-3 17th.
In six previous tournaments at Quail Hollow, Mickelson has birdied the 17th hole once and the 18th hole once.
Former Carolina Panthers radio announcer Bill Rosinski is working as a roving reporter for the PGA Tour Network on Sirius Satellite Radio. Rosinski, who still lives in Charlotte, continues to call college football and basketball games. His assignment today: Woods.
Rory Sabatini had the good fortune - or bad luck - to hit his approach shot just shy of the green on the par-5 seventh hole. His ball avoided water by hitting the top of a stone wall that protects the green from a pond. Problem was, the ball took a huge, cart-path-like bounce over and behind the green.
Observations
A new tee has been added at the par-4 fourth hole, which can stretch it to more than 490 yards. The back tee was in play Wednesday despite a gentle breeze blowing into the players' faces there.
The tee might not be there during the tournament if the wind stays from the north, but officials wanted to make sure players got a chance to see the new tee before the event begins. Played all the way back, the fourth gives the front nine another strong par-4 hole to go with the ninth.
The caddies have their own hospitality area just outside the men's locker room where they can have lunch, relax, watch television or play ping-pong.
There's a ping-pong table sitting in the sunshine and it was staying busy on pro-am day.
When defending champion Sean O'Hair was asked if he still has the navy blazer he got for winning the Wells Fargo Championship last year, he said it's in his closet.
Asked when he wears it, O'Hair deadpanned, "Instead of a robe when I get out of the shower, I'll put it on. Every day when I'm home."
It will be interesting to see what the winning score is this weekend. The tournament record is 16 under par, set by Anthony Kim two years ago. Almost half an inch of rain fell Tuesday, softening the course. That might lead to lower scores at least the first two days, before warm weather firms the course.
Low scores are OK. Fans love to see birdies and no one complained that 16 under won the Masters.