The Loop
There's a method behind the madness of rerouting Harding Park
One glance at TPC Harding Park's rerouting is enough to make your head hurt.
FYI, TPC Harding Park will be rerouted for the WGC this week. Front 9: 10, 11, 12, 13, 4, 5, 6, 2, 3. Back 9: 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 1, 7, 8, 9
— Ashley Mayo (@AshleyKMayo) April 27, 2015 As haphazard as the rerouting seems, there's a smart method behind the madness. Hole Nos. 14-18 represent the course's toughest (and greatest) stretch. And since the majority of match-play matches end on No. 16, playing TPC Harding Park as is would mean most golfers would never even reach the course's finest gems. The re-routing is meant to maximize thrills and entertainment.
While the routing for the 2005 WGC-American Express Championship and 2010 Charles Schwab Cup Championship followed the daily public layout, the 2009 Presidents Cup featured a similar layout to this week's Match Play, although it used Harding's 18th as its 15th (this week, Harding's 18th will serve as the WGC's 14th). This week's routing might just be the perfect guinea pig for the 2025 Presidents Cup, which will be held at TPC Harding Park.