CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE — PGA Tour players were excited to see historic Cherry Hills Country Club, giving the golf course a thumbs up Tuesday during the first official practice rounds for the BMW Championship.
The Cherry Hills rough? That did not bring smiles.
“This is lush, man,” said Ernie Els, winner of four major championships. “You’re going to have to keep it in the fairway to score here. If you’re coming out of the rough, with the fullness this rough has already, you’re not going to have much of a game. Accuracy will be big this week.”
The third of four legs that make up the FedEx Cup playoffs, the BMW Championship is run by the PGA Tour, which is not offended by low scores. If this were a USGA event, the rough might be cut at a height of at least 4½ inches — as it was for the 2012 U.S. Amateur Championship at Cherry Hills.
The rough at Cherry Hills won’t be that high. Or will it?
Tour officials previously requested a 3-inch rough for this event. However, Cherry Hills head golf professional John Ogden said Tuesday that because the course has not received a substantial rainfall since a downpour Friday, there are no plans to cut the rough this week.
That can’t be good news for players.
“It’s thicker than I remember in past years,” said Els, who often would arrive a few days early for The International and sneak over with pals to Cherry Hills for a round.
NBC sports analyst Johnny Miller said Cherry Hills always grows impressive rough. A native of Northern California, Miller played college golf at BYU and has a residence in Utah.
“There’s some of the toughest bluegrass rough in the world at Cherry Hills,” said Miller, who will be on NBC’s crew this week. “I can tell you, the Rockies (region) can really grow some bluegrass. Around the greens, it’s like chipping out of steel wool. It’s just so heavy.”
After playing a practice round Tuesday, 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell said there is just enough rough at Cherry Hills “to make it interesting” and put a premium on driving accuracy.
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“It’s just (penal) enough to make fairways a premium,” McDowell said. “You can pull some (good) lies. But it takes the control out of your hands. The rough has that lush, bluegrass feel to it. The way these greens are pitched, you really have to stay on the (appropriate) side of the greens for an opportunity to get up and down. You have to be very aware of where you’re going to leave your ball coming in (on approach shots).”
Sergio Garcia used the description “interesting” when asked about Cherry Hills’ rough.
“It’s not as high (as a U.S. Open), but it’s very consistent,” Garcia said Tuesday. “It can be quite tricky. If the ball nestles down into it against the grain, it’s hard to get enough distance. And if it’s lying with the grain, you can get some downhill fliers.”
Compounding the challenge, Miller said, is the altitude. Yes, it affects shorter shots too, he said.
“Out of the rough, the ball actually goes shorter than it does at sea level because there’s no air to speak of to grab onto the low, spinning shots out of the rough,” Miller explained. “The ball just falls out of the air.”
Ogden agreed with Miller that the bluegrass rough here is different than most roughs.
“It may be 3 inches, but it’s healthy, dense rough,” Ogden said. “We’re known for our rough.”
Tom Kensler: tkensler@denverpost.com or twitter.com/tomkensler
