These Greens Should Be Something to Envy

Reputations are hard to shake, but chances are that the greens at Riviera Country Club are going to make a new name for themselves this week at the Nissan Open.

“They should be pretty fast and firm,” said Matt Morton, the greens superintendent.

That’s good news for the players, who have found Riviera’s greens spotty in the past. Morton, formerly an assistant to Paul Ramina, said Riviera’s putting surfaces have never been better and that’s what the pros are going to discover.

He said the greens should be rolling at a speed of about 11 on the Stimpmeter during the event.

The poa-and-bent-grass-combination greens have USGA-specified under dressing that is partly sand, and the drainage has been improved.

A few minor changes have been made at Riviera, site of the Nissan Open this week, including a new tee box at the par-four 15th hole, where 44 yards have been added. The hole now plays to 487 yards.

“It’s going to be more challenging off the tee,” Morton said. “You’ve got to carry the fairway bunker and probably use a longer iron to the green.”

A new tee was built last year at the par-four 12th but was not used. The hole can be played at 479 yards, but last year measured 460. The length to be used this week will be determined before the tournament starts Thursday.

The official yardage for the par-71 layout is 7,241.

In another move, a throwback to the past, grass was allowed to grow again in the barrancas, or ditches, that come into play all over the course. It could be at least six inches tall and can be expected to cause problems.

“You hit it in there and it’s a lost ball because you’re not going to find it,” said Todd Yoshitake, the pro at Riviera.

Last week’s rain was not expected to dull Riviera’s condition. Yoshitake said the course is firm and will probably play fast.

“I think the players are going to say it’s the best condition they’ve ever seen it,” he said.

The kikuyu rough is fairly consistent throughout the course and will be topped off to even it out at about 2 1/2 inches.

Morton said because of the rain, the rough may be allowed to grow even longer.

“That may be a challenge for the players,” he said.

Fairways are going to be kept 32 yards wide at most places, and the 100% kikuyu grass will enable golf balls to sit up as well as anyone could expect, Yoshitake said.

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*--* 23 Bernhard Langer 49 Jose Maria Olazabal Elite Club Thirty-eight of the top 50 players in the world rankings are expected to play in the Nissan Open: Rk Player Rk Player 1 Tiger Woods 24 Charles Howell III 4 Vijay Singh 25 Eduardo Romero 6 Sergio Garcia 26 Darren Clarke 7 David Toms 27 Stuart Appleby 8 Davis Love III 28 Shigeki Maruyama 10 Chris DiMarco 29 Scott Hoch 11 Jim Furyk 30 David Duval 12 Nick Price 31 Peter Lonard 13 Colin Montgomerie 32 Craig Parry 14 Rocco Mediate 33 K.J. Choi 15 Mike Weir 34 Fred Funk 16 Robert Allenby 36 Scott McCarron 17 Justin Leonard 37 Chris Riley 18 Michael Campbell 38 Steve Lowery 19 Bob Estes 41 Scott Verplank 20 Rich Beem 43 Tim Clark 21 Jerry Kelly 46 Jeff Sluman 22 Angel Cabrera 48 Niclas Fasth

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*--* * Parking: At the Veterans Administration Hospital, corner of Sawtelle and Ohio in West Los Angeles. Tickets: $25 per day. Available by calling 1-800-752-6736 or by visiting a participating Roger Dunn golf shop At a Glance * What: 77th Nissan Open, a 72-hole PGA Tour tournament * Where: Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades * When: Thursday through Sunday * Schedule: Monday-Tuesday, professional practice rounds. Wednesday, Nissan Pro-Am. Thursday-Sunday, tournament. Television: Thursday-Friday on USA, noon-3 p.m.; Saturday on Ch. 7, noon-3 p.m.; Sunday on Ch. 7, 12:30-3:30 p.m

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Tournament Field

*--* * Sponsor exemptions Fulton Allem Robert Allenby Stephen Ames Billy Andrade Stuart Appleby Paul Azinger Aaron Baddely * Briny Baird Craig Barlow Pat Bates Cameron Beckman Rich Beem Notah Begay III David Berganio Mark Brooks Olin Browne Bob Burns Jonathan Byrd Tom Byrum Angel Cabrera Chad Campbell Michael Campbell Jim Carter Greg Chalmers K.J. Choi Stewart Cink Tim Clark Darren Clarke * Jose Coceres John Cook Fred Couples Ben Crane Robert Damron Glen Day Paul Dietsche Chris DiMarco Luke Donald Joe Durant David Duval Joel Edwards Steve Elkington Bob Estes Niclas Fasth * Brad Faxon Michael Fergin Steve Flesch Dan Forsman Carlos Franco Fred Funk Jim Furyk Robert Gamez Sergio Garcia Brian Gay Brent Geiberger Matt Gogel David Gossett Jay Haas J.P. Hayes J.J. Henry Glen Hnatiuk Scott Hoch Charles Howell III Yasuharu Imano Toshi Izawa Lee Janzen Brandt Jobe Per-Urik Johansson Jonathan Kaye Jerry Kelly Skip Kendall Kenichi Kuboya * Neal Lancaster Bernhard Langer Ian Leggatt Tom Lehman Justin Leonard Thomas Levet J.L. Lewis Frank Lickliter II Peter Lonard Davis Love III Steve Lowery Andrew Magee Jeff Maggert Shigeki Maruyama Len Mattiace Billy Mayfair Scott McCarron Spike McRoy Rocco Mediate Shaun Micheel Larry Mize Colin Montgomerie * Arron Oberholser Mark O’Meara Geoff Ogilvy Jose Maria Olazabal Jesper Parnevik Craig Parry Carl Paulson Dennis Paulson Corey Pavin David Peoples Pat Perez Craig Perks Tom Pernice Jr Tom Petrovic Nick Price Chris Riley Loren Roberts Eduardo Romero * Rory Sabbatini Akio Sadakata * Gene Sauers Brent Schwarzrock Brad Sherfy Vijay Singh Heath Slocum Jeff Sluman Chris Smith Craig Stadler Paul Stankowski Curtis Strange Steve Stricker David Sutherland Kevin Sutherland Hal Sutton Hidemichi Tanaka Phil Tataurangi Esteban Toledo David Toms Kirk Triplett Bob Tway Scott Verplank Duffy Waldorf Mike Weir Jay Williamson Garrett Willis Tiger Woods Kaname Yokoo

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