If you've tuned in to the 2018 Sentry Tournament of Champions, you've probably realized the greens and putting surfaces on the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort don't look as healthy as they usually do. They look a little discolored, with some brown patches, and they might even seem slower than they normally are (which is slow by PGA Tour standards).
Your eyes are not deceiving you.
The greens aren't looking good, and there's really nothing the PGA Tour can do about it, as they explained in a notice to players.
Golf Channel's Rex Hoggard tweeted a picture of it:
Greens seem to be rolling well, but this was posted in player locker room in Maui this week. @grungyump pic.twitter.com/C5wPjLbPIM
— Rex Hoggard (@RexHoggardGC) January 5, 2018
While preparing the putting greens for tournament conditions, a contaminated variety of Bermudagrass has reacted negatively and caused thin spots on several greens (most notably Hole 14). In order to minimize this unexpected issue, the target greenspeed will be slower than previously stated in the Greensheet.
Typically, the greens roll around 10 on the Stimpmeter at Kapalua for this event. Now they'll be a little slower, but they do appear to still be rolling pretty well.
