PGA Preparations Kicked Into High Gear

Saturday, August 4th 2007, 8:49 pm

By: News On 6

With only a few days before the eyes of the golfing world turn to Tulsa, the PGA says no detail, however small, will be overlooked. The News On 6â€™s Chris Wright reports there are still five days until the world's best golfers tee off at Southern Hills, but preparations for the tournament have already kicked into high gear.

More than 900 journalists, from 17 countries, will be watching the monitors and the leaderboard while working in the 32,000-square foot media center. The facility, usually the club's indoor tennis courts, is being converted for the championship.

"Everything that writers, camera people, radio, online need is right here at their fingertips. We provide for them to make their job as easy as possible,â€ said PGA Communications director Kelly Ebin.

Officials will spend the next few days making sure everything goes as smoothly as possible once the pros tee off.

Now as for the course itself, officials at Southern Hills say all the holes have been ready to go for two weeks now, so everyone is paying attention to the small details this weekend.

Fans will dry the well-watered greens until Thursday. Some have the less than desirable task of clearing scum from a pond. They've been at it for six hours a day for the last three days. Southern Hills certainly doesn't want the national television audience spotting any scum.

"Attention to detail is key to the PGA Championship like this. So you know, every little things counts, and that's what we're here for,â€ said groundskeeper Kyle Callahan.

Attention to detail that officials say will continue until a champion is crowned next Sunday.

"The PGA championship is one of the four major golf championships in the world. It lives up to its reputation in terms of how the PGA of America goes about presenting it,â€ Ebin said.

The PGA says the media center is the largest ever built for a championship. It says so many journalists are covering the event because of where the players are from. They hail from more than 60 foreign countries, making this the most diverse field in PGA history.

Watch the video: Preparations Continue For PGA Championship