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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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TPC At Avenel

TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm (formerly TPC Avenel) is a private golf club in the eastern United States, located in Potomac, Maryland, a suburb northwest of Washington, D.C. It was formerly a regular stop on the PGA Tour as host of the Booz Allen Classic (originally Kemper Open). After a major renovation to both clubhouse and course, the clubhouse reopened in late 2008 while the course reopened on April 28, 2009.

Renovation

Opened thirty-eight years ago in 1986, the original TPC Avenel course was roundly criticized for poor design in its early years. It was also plagued by years of flooding and drainage problems and by various turfgrass issues which affected the greens and often produced less than satisfactory tournament conditions. As a result, many top players on the PGA Tour stayed away, and the Kemper/Booz Allen tournament became unofficially relegated to "B" event status.

In the summer of 2005, Dewberry and Davis land surveying crews were regularly seen taking measurements across the facility, sparking rumors that the long criticized course would finally be reconfigured. Confirmation came in 2007, when a $32 million golf course and clubhouse renovation commenced in an effort to bring back a tournament to the Washington D.C. area. The renovation covered the entire course, which has been reshaped into a new 7,139-yard (6,528 m) course at par 70 with Rock Run Creek being expanded and cleaned up.

The controversial sixth hole (conceived as a weak copy of the 13th at Augusta National) was changed to a straightaway long par-four with the green now short and left of the creek. The par-3 ninth (famously maligned by Greg Norman, who suggested the original be "blown up with dynamite") was rebuilt with a new green up on a hill near the old practice green. The old 10th and 11th holes have been combined into the new tenth, a long par-five playing around the restored creek feature. The old 12th is now the 11th, with the old par-five 13th (another popular target of player angst) eliminated and replaced by a new, uphill par-three 12th and a short, par-four 13th.

In addition to the golf course, the project also included a new practice facility and short game area, and clubhouse renovations.

In November 2015, the 7th and 16th greens were renovated to flatten contours and provide additional hole locations in anticipation of hosting the Quicken Loans National in 2017. Additionally, small improvements were made to a number of holes, including creating bent grass chipping and collection areas around the 3rd, 4th, and 18th greens, widening the 5th and 6th fairways, and flattening the front portion of the 13th green to create additional hole locations. Finally, the on-deck putting green was quadrupled in size from 1,500 square feet (140 m) to over 6,000 sq ft (560 m).

The course was scheduled to host the PGA Tour's Wells Fargo Championship in 2021, as its regular site, Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, was to host the Presidents Cup. Following scheduling changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, this was delayed a year to 2022.

Scorecard

Redesigned layout

TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm
Tee Rating/Slope 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Gold 75.5 / 146 440 619 225 440 365 484 452 467 201 3,693 560 470 168 360 299 490 412 190 465 3,446 7,107
Black 73.5 / 142 415 570 210 440 365 449 420 435 175 3,479 532 420 161 360 278 440 390 190 426 3,197 6,676
Yellow M:70.6 / 135
W:76.7 / 153
400 495 185 379 312 422 395 415 155 3,158 510 378 144 302 256 418 327 170 401 2,906 6,064
White M:69.3 / 128
W:75.0 / 148
392 478 160 352 299 379 383 390 136 2,969 482 365 144 279 239 397 319 152 380 2,757 5,726
Red M:65.2 / 122
W:70.2 / 133
301 455 135 335 275 283 266 275 120 2,445 438 339 130 258 225 353 305 115 340 2,503 4,948
Par 4 5 3 4 4 4 4 4 3 35 5 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 35 70
SI Men's 3 11 13 7 17 1 5 9 15 8 2 14 16 18 4 10 12 6
SI Women's 6 2 16 4 10 8 12 14 18 3 1 11 13 15 9 5 17 7


Original layout

TPC Avenel (2006)
Tee Rating/Slope 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
TPC 74.0 / 133 393 622 239 435 359 520 461 453 166 3648 374 147 / 165 472 524 301 467 415 195 444 3339 / 3357 6987 / 7005
Back 72.0 / 129 376 584 185 408 340 447 422 409 150 3321 349 136 / 156 413 503 275 458 401 181 425 3141 / 3161 6462 / 6482
Middle 70.0 / 123 362 553 162 342 328 410 396 394 136 3083 314 125 / 140 403 481 239 418 391 156 4000 2927 / 2942 6010 / 6025
Forward 68.1 / 115 310 437 127 294 234 338 279 281 118 2418 280 100 / 125 363 370 208 351 292 118 318 2400 / 2425 4818 / 4843
SI Men's 10 4 16 6 14 12 2 8 18 11 17 1 7 15 3 9 13 5
Par 4 5 3 4 4 5 4 4 3 36 4 3 4 5 4 4 4 3 4 35 71
SI Women's 6 2 16 8 14 4 12 10 18 11 17 1 9 13 3 5 15 7


Tour events

In 2006, the tournament ended on Tuesday due to persistent storms in the D.C. area. It was the first time a Tour event had been played on a Tuesday since 1968. The conclusion of the final Booz Allen Classic was not televised.

In 2007, Tiger Woods announced his new tournament, the AT&T National, was to be played at neighboring Congressional Country Club. When it was preparing to host its third U.S. Open in 2011, there was speculation that TPC Potomac could serve as a replacement venue for 2010 and 2011. However, the tournament was held in Aronimink Golf Club instead, as the club "sees how the reconfigured course played and how members responded to it before considering hosting major tournaments."

In 2010, the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship was moved from Baltimore Country Club in Timonium to the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. The renovated TPC Potomac received many positive reviews from the players during the tournament.

TPC Potomac hosted Web.com Tour events in successive years; the Neediest Kids Championship in 2012 and Mid-Atlantic Championship in 2013.

In 2014, the PGA Tour announced that TPC Potomac would host the Quicken Loans National in 2017. The tournament marked the first time the PGA Tour had held an event at TPC Potomac since 2006.

On April 30, 2019, the PGA Tour announced that TPC Potomac would host the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship due to Quail Hollow Club hosting the Presidents Cup. With the postponement of the Ryder Cup from 2020 to 2021 and subsequent rescheduling of the Presidents Cup to 2022, TPC Potomac instead hosted the Wells Fargo in 2022.

Year Tour Winner Winning
score
To par Margin
of victory
Runner(s)-up Winner's
share ($)
Wells Fargo Championship
2022 PGA Tour United States Max Homa 272 −8 2 strokes England Matt Fitzpatrick 1,620,000
Quicken Loans National
2018 PGA Tour Italy Francesco Molinari 259 −21 8 strokes United States Ryan Armour 1,278,000
2017 PGA Tour United States Kyle Stanley 273 −7 Playoff United States Charles Howell III 1,278,000
Mid-Atlantic Championship
2013 Web.com United States Michael Putnam 273 −7 2 strokes United States Chesson Hadley 108,000
Neediest Kids Championship presented by Under Armour
2012 Web.com Sweden David Lingmerth 272 −8 1 stroke United States Casey Wittenberg 108,000
Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship
2010 Champions United States Mark O'Meara 273 −7 Playoff United States Michael Allen 405,000
Booz Allen Classic
2006 PGA Tour United States Ben Curtis 264 −20 5 strokes United States Billy Andrade
Australia Nick O'Hern
Republic of Ireland Pádraig Harrington
United States Steve Stricker
900,000
2004 PGA Tour Australia Adam Scott 263 −21 4 strokes United States Charles Howell III 864,000
FBR Capital Open
2003 PGA Tour South Africa Rory Sabbatini 270 −14 4 strokes United States Joe Durant
United States Fred Funk
United States Duffy Waldorf
810,000
Kemper Insurance Open
2002 PGA Tour United States Bob Estes 273 −11 1 stroke United States Rich Beem 648,000
2001 PGA Tour United States Frank Lickliter 268 −16 1 stroke United States J. J. Henry 630,000
2000 PGA Tour United States Tom Scherrer 271 −13 2 strokes Australia Greg Chalmers
Japan Kazuhiko Hosokawa
United States Franklin Langham
United States Justin Leonard
United States Steve Lowery
540,000
Kemper Open
1999 PGA Tour United States Rich Beem 274 −10 1 stroke United States Bill Glasson
Australia Bradley Hughes
450,000
1998 PGA Tour Australia Stuart Appleby 274 −10 1 stroke United States Scott Hoch 360,000
1997 PGA Tour United States Justin Leonard 274 −10 1 stroke United States Mark Wiebe 270,000
1996 PGA Tour United States Steve Stricker 270 −14 3 strokes United States Brad Faxon
United States Scott Hoch
United States Mark O'Meara
New Zealand Grant Waite
270,000
1995 PGA Tour United States Lee Janzen 272 −12 Playoff United States Corey Pavin 252,000
1994 PGA Tour United States Mark Brooks 271 −13 3 strokes United States Bobby Wadkins
United States D. A. Weibring
234,000
1993 PGA Tour New Zealand Grant Waite 275 −9 1 stroke United States Tom Kite 234,000
1992 PGA Tour United States Bill Glasson 276 −8 1 stroke United States John Daly
United States Ken Green
United States Mike Springer
United States Howard Twitty
198,000
1991 PGA Tour United States Billy Andrade 263 −21 Playoff United States Jeff Sluman 180,000
1990 PGA Tour United States Gil Morgan 274 −10 1 stroke Australia Ian Baker-Finch 180,000
1989 PGA Tour United States Tom Byrum 268 −16 5 strokes United States Tommy Armour III
United States Billy Ray Brown
United States Jim Thorpe
162,000
1988 PGA Tour United States Morris Hatalsky 274 −10 Playoff United States Tom Kite 144,000
1987 PGA Tour United States Tom Kite 270 −14 7 strokes United States Chris Perry

United States Howard Twitty

126,000

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Source:

See also

References

  1. ^ "Quicken Loans National" (PDF). GCSAA. Tournament fact sheets. June 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  2. ^ "Course Rating and Slope Database™ - TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm". USGA. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  3. ^ "Avenel golf course reopens after renovations". Gazette.net. May 13, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
  4. ^ "TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm Practice Facility". YouTube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  5. ^ "DC Grind". YouTube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  6. ^ "Tiger Woods speaks on tourney's future". Gazette.net. November 5, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
  7. ^ "Senior Players Championship goes to Potomac for 2010". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
  8. ^ "TPC Potomac to hold 2017 Quicken Loans National". PGA Tour. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  9. ^ "PGA Tour to Return to TPC Potomac for one year with 2021 Wells Fargo Championship". Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  10. ^ Lavner, Ryan (8 July 2020). "Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow pushed back to 2022". Golf Channel. Retrieved 8 July 2020.