The forecast was no secret and the frost that delayed the Thursday start of the PGA Championship was no surprise.
And neither one of those issues slowed down fans.
“It didn’t deter me at all,” said Denise McGraw, 59, who made the trip to Oak Hill from Syracuse. “We were coming no matter what.”
Indeed, the delay of nearly 2 hours appeared to have little impact on attendance for the tournament’s first day. The crisp air and ground that greeted golfers soon gave way to sun and warmth.
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And as the first round progressed following the 8:50 a.m. opening tee shots, the galleries filled in with fans dressed in layers that could be shed as the temperatures climbed into territory that was a bit more comfortable.
“I was more alert to watch for the updates,” said Terry Cotton, 71, of Victor. “We know how to dress here … and I usually carry extra clothes until the end of (lacrosse season). They’re in my trunk.”
For some, the PGA Championship offered a break from routine. Even if that routine includes school.
“I knew my uncles and my dad were coming but I didn’t know I was going,” said Elliott Snedecor, 12, of Horseheads, who learned he was coming to Oak Hill earlier this week. “My dad asked and I was like yeah, sure.”
Younger brother Andrew, 10, was eagerly waiting to see favorites like Tony Finau and Brooks Koepka.
“I like when they chip on to the green,” he said. “I haven’t been able to see much but I heard there’s been an eagle.”
Brennon Muszak, 9, of Fairport also was missing school for Thursday’s golf, which doesn’t happen at this calibre every day in Rochester. And neither does eating a cheeseburger at 10 a.m.
“I like watching them hit the ball high,” said Muszak while donning a plaid Scally cap, a gift from his grandmother’s recent visit to Scotland. “It’s too…
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