When the top women’s golfers in the world return to Highland Meadows in the final days of August in advance of what will be the first “fall” edition of the Dana Open, one major change will greet them as the tournament moves from what has been its most common landing spot in early to mid-July.
Darkness.
The tournament, formerly known as the Marathon Classic, was staged in the heart of the summer in the past, but by moving the competition to Sept. 1 to 4 for the 2022 event, the calendar change will cleave daylight from the schedule, shrinking the practice and playing time available to the pros.
“The days will definitely be shorter, and that could be a factor,” said Highland Meadows pro Nick Myers. “The players who are first-off in the morning might not have as much light at the driving range before their round, since we're looking at a 7:15 start on Thursday and Friday.”
Meteorologist Jay Berschback from WTVG-TV Channel 13 confirmed Mother Nature will be pulling the blinds down a bit earlier in the day, and leaving them closed a bit longer each morning.
“The daylength will be much different,” Berschback said. “There are about two fewer hours of daylight in early September compared to early July.”
The length of the day shrinks from around 15 hours for an early July event to about 13 hours for this year's tournament. Berschback calculates the sun will come up about 7 a.m. and set around 8 p.m. each day of the Dana Open, leaving tournament organizers a tighter window if they need to address weather delays during the event's four rounds.
The overall weather pattern is also a wild card in play with the tournament's date change.
Berschback said the days should be slightly less humid, and although the chance of rain for each day will be about the same as in July, the possibility of thunderstorms interrupting play will be somewhat lower. Longer nights could also mean more dew and a slower, wetter track in the morning rounds.
Myers said he would expect the move to early September tournament play to possibly bring tougher conditions for the players to face out on the course.
“We are typically dryer that time of year, so by moving to September the greens will be firmer,” Myers said. “And right now, the rough is popping and getting thicker, and that could be a big factor if they let it go. There also could be a little more run-out on the fairways, since they should be firmer and faster.”
Course superintendent Greg Pattinson said his crew will be dealing with the challenges presented by the daylight change, and personnel issues related to the date change.
“We'll still start our day at 5:30, so we will definitely be preparing the golf course in the dark for a lot longer,” he said. “But right now, the biggest issue for us is labor, since we rely heavily on college and high school students, and with the later date, they'll all be back in school.”
While he is working on assembling the crew he will need, Pattinson said the cooler nights and shorter days will make it easier to grow a thicker rough.
“We should be able to push the golf course a little more than we do in the heat of July,” he said. “We won't have to put as much water down, if Mother Nature cooperates, so we should have a golf course with more roll in the fairways and less hold on the greens.”
HOW THEY COMPARE
Here is look at how the third day of last year’s tournament compares with what is expected for the third day of the 2022 Dana Open.
Normal high temperatures
■ July 10 – 87 degrees
■ Sept. 3 – 82 degrees
Normal low temperatures
■ July 10 – 64
■ Sept. 3 – 60
Sunrise
■ July 10 – 6:09 a.m.
■ Sept. 3 – 7:02 a.m.
Sunset
■ July 10 – 9:09 p.m.
■ Sept. 3 – 8:03 p.m.
Daylength
■ July 10 – about 15 hours
■ Sept. 3 – about 13 hours
Source: Jay Berschback, meteorologist, 13 ABC
First Published August 27, 2022, 1:00 p.m.
