Hurricane damage forces change to Senior Tour Championship

Damage caused by Hurricane Floyd is keeping the Senior Tour Championship at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club, again this year instead of moving to the new TPC at Myrtle Beach.

The season-ending event, scheduled for Nov. 4-7, was supposed to move to the new course this year. However, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said today there were too many trees down and too much flooding at the TPC to have it in tournament shape within six weeks.

The course lost about 200 trees and many bunkers were washed out. There was also damage to several greens, an 80-foot section of cart path and the drainage system.

"Our biggest problem would have been getting those greens back into condition in such a short period of time to host a major championship," said Pete Davison, senior vice president and chief operating officer of PGA Tour Golf Properties, Inc.

Davison said the TPC course would close for a month for cleanup and repairs.

The Senior Tour Championship moved to The Dunes in 1994. Hale Irwin is defending champion of the $2 million event, which is played by the tour's top 31 money winners.