Larry Packard knows exactly what golfers want.
He should, after all. The 100-year-old, retired golf course designer has sculpted more than 250 courses worldwide, from Egypt, to Venezuela, to South Korea, and, of course, the Bay area.
"I want my players to come back to my golf course," Packard said Saturday while sitting in the grandstand surrounding the 18th green. "How do you do that? A golf course should be fun. It shouldn't be difficult. It's a challenge, but you make it so the player thinks he has a chance to do better the next time."
In the early 1970s, Packard designed all four courses Innisbrook Resort has to offer: the Island, North and South courses, and the Copperhead course, home to this PGA event since 2000. Packard oversaw the course going from one tee to three tees per hole, plus the pulling back of greenside bunkers. His biggest focus, when he worked on Copperhead, was the greens that have side slopes to keep the players, and usually the professionals, from making every putt.
"You've got to keep it interesting," said Packard, who was still playing golf up to three years ago at age 97. "How do you do that? With a few dog legs, right and left. If you just had up-and-down (holes), that would be boring and no one would come back."
Sitting in the grandstand in the 70-degree weather, Packard wears a plaid jacket and watches through glasses suitable for former Cubs announcer Harry Caray as professional golfers make their way up to the green. He smiles slightly because he loves golf.
"It's the only game in the world where someone else can't touch your ball," Packard said. "If you said 50 years ago this many people would come watch you hit a small ball, they'd say you were crazy. Golf is a great game."
Longhorn love
Justin Leonard knows all about Jordan Spieth. Sure, it's partly because the 19-year-old phenom has won the U.S. Amateur twice (2009, 2011), but also because both are former Texas Longhorns.
But as Spieth played himself into the top 10 with a 69 on Saturday, Leonard has been impressed with what Spieth has been able to do despite the young golfer's lack of status on tour.
"I can't imagine being out here at 19, and to do what he's done," Leonard said. "It's pretty remarkable. It's beyond the game and what happens on the golf course. He's handling himself pretty well."
Spieth, who finished tied for 21st at the 2012 U.S. Open, also finished second last week at the Puerto Rico Open.
Luke lurking
Defending champ and world No. 3 Luke Donald is hanging out around after sitting at even through two rounds. Saturday, the 35-year-old Englishman ripped off a bogey-free 4-under 67 with birdies on the third, seventh, 10th and 15th holes.
"I wanted to shoot five or six under, nearly got there and could've been a really low round today," Donald said. "Certainly moving in the right direction, and I feel like my game has been close, and (now) starting to show with some results."
This is just Donald's fourth tournament this season, with his best finish a 16th at the Northern Trust Open in early February.
Finish it
Copperhead's 18th was unforgiving Saturday, allowing just 17 birdies against 44 bogeys thanks to a right-middle pin placement that was less than 10 feet from the fringe. Among those who managed to birdie the 18th was Tag Ridings, who drained a 14-foot, 3-inch putt to move into a tie for fourth.
Copperhead's infamous Snake Pit ? holes 16-18 ? had yielded just 79 birdies through two rounds, and Saturday, those three holes produced just 48 more.
The 16th hole appears to be the toughest. It's a 445-yard dogleg right around water that yielded 15 birdies Saturday.
Georgia on their minds
The Peach State is well represented at Copperhead, with six Georgia Tech alums playing as well as two former Georgia teammates still in the field.
For the Yellow Jackets, there's Stewart Cink (-1), Roberto Castro (-3), Matt Kuchar (-2), Bryce Molder (-4), Cameron Tringale (-2) and Troy Matteson (+7). For the Bulldogs, Harris English (-3) and Brian Harman (-4).
Mike Camunas
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