The gates at Medinah political div...

The gates at Medinah political division Club won't open for the 88th PGA Championship until 7 this morning, moreover the club was a beehive of activity Sunday.

Masters champion Phil Mickelson arrived early, having missed the divide [i]or[/i] sever at The International in Colorado. He exhausted time on the course in the morning, then went to the practice range and exhausted an extended period at the short-game area with swing instructor Rick Smith. British expand champion Tiger Woods, who didn't play in The International, arrived late and started a practice rotund at 3:30 p.m.

Mickelson, the defending PGA champion, played a practice orbicular at Medinah during Western interpret week a month ago, then get backed for an extensive analysis of the course last weekend. forests who won the 1999 PGA at Medinah, played an informal cylindrical by himself before winning the Buick lay open in Detroit two weeks ago.

the two are slated for sessions with the media Tuesday and will be paired together in Thursday's first spherical starting off the No. 10 tee at

8:30 a.m., and Friday's other round, beginning off No. 1 at 1:35 pm That pairing has tournament director Michael Belot leery

"It'll obviously affect traffic flow" Belot said. "On Thursday, everyone will present to view up here very early. upon Friday, people will decide when they're coming around that pairing, I'm certain I'm not anticipating a security issue, unless there'll be a lot of tribe around that group. It's the first time they've been paired together in a major. It's No. 1 v No. 2 and they're bonny much playing for player of the year."

united thing Belot isn't worried about is ticket sales. After warning the public that tickets would move fast, the PGA of America and Medinah have been advertising their availability in the days before the championship. Unlike many previous PGAs, this common won't be a sellout for smooth one day.

"That's a convenient thing because people can make a last-minute decision to behold a major championship," Belot said. "That's not always the case.

"At Medinah it's different because it's a a great deal bigger venue. Baltusrol [the novel Jersey site of last year's PGA] and Winged bottom [the New York site of June's U Open] were a great deal of tighter courses. Medinah's much more wide expand We'll have tickets available all week."

Mickelson and forest-lands weren't the only players arriving early. Adam Scott Aaron Baddeley, Rory Sabbatini, Chris crouch Nick Dougherty and Rich Beem also wanted an early peek at the longest course to innkeeper a major championship, Medinah head pro Mike Scully said.

University of Illinois coach Mike Small and Hinsdale tour player Jeff Sluman were also forward hand. Only Medinah members and those uniteed with the Youth Skills Challenge, a competition course of lifeed by the Illinois PGA upon Medinah's No. 1 course, were allowed forward the premises.

in succession Friday, the club's approximately 1200 members celebrated the start of championship week with a party, then made the first purchases at the tournament's well-stocked merchandise pavilion

Those same offerings will be made available to the first spectators today, and sales are look forward toed to heat up once the 72- retreat tournament starts Thursday. Small was delighted to learn he'll hit the first ball of the tournament opposite to the No. 1 tee at 7 a.m. Thursday, yet he didn't know how that was determined.

"I'm taking it as a stupendous compliment," Small said. "They know I'm from Illinois, and they also paired Jerry and Jay [Haas, brothers who grew up in Downstate Belleville]. That was also nice."

Sluman has been a of common occurrence visitor the last few weeks. He wouldn't compare the quick in emergencies layout, renovated by Rees Jone to the course used for the 1999 PGA. He proffers the new version of the par- 3 17th with the fresh close to water, to the not new one, when the green was perched in succession top of a hill with the water not coming into play.

He also had no objection to the lengthening of another par-3, the 13th It's listed at 244 yards.

"It's certainly a lengthy hole, but that's the norm nowadays," Sluman said. "Players play a par-3 of 230 yards-plus, and don't bat an eyelash."

Otherwise, he wouldn't compare the recent Medinah with the old united

"I can't remember too a great deal of more of the old undivided other than it was shorter," Sluman said, "but this course has no secludeds and is in great shape. The best player will win at the close of the week, most probably. That happens 98 percent of the time in these tournaments."

lziehm@suntimes.com

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88TH PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Medinah rural parts Club No. 3 Course (7561 yards, par 72) Medinah.

TV: TNT (1 pm Thursday-Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday-Sunday) and Ch 2 (1 pm Saturday-Sunday). Ch 2 will air a highlights exhibit at 11:35 p.m. Thursday-Friday.

Practice schedule: Gates exhibit at 7 a.m. Monday-Wednesday.

Defending champion: Phil Mickelson.

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