84 LUMBER Classic

The 84 Lumber Classic at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is an American golf event. The event is part of the PGA Tour, but will disband and give up the tournament slot during the 2007 Season. The event's title sponsor is lumber company 84 Lumber. The course, Nemacolin Woodlands, is owned by 84 Lumber founder Joseph Hardy.

1 History of the 84 Lumber Classic
2 The End of the Classic
3 Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie
4 Winners

[edit] History of the 84 Lumber Classic

The 84 Lumber Classic first made its appearance on the PGA Tour during the 2003 season. The tournament was the first in Pennsylvania since the defunct Pennsylvania Classic. Unlike the Pennsylvania Classic, the 84 Lumber event would stay at the same western Pennsylvanian spot yearly. Mystic Rock, Joe Hardy's course designed by legendary architect Pete Dye would play host to the new tournament. In 2003, the tournament was under the radar as a PGA tournament, attracting a very small number of well known pros. The tournament did have the fan favorite, John Daly, as one of the main attractions. Daly was, and currently is, in a deal with the 84 Lumber company to wear its logo during his competitive golf rounds, and thus he did appear at the tournament. The low attraction of highly ranked pros showed in golfer J.L. Lewis seizing victory. Despite good attendance from the Pittsburgh golf community, Joe Hardy and the Classic's directors set out to attract more pros.

The struggle to attract better competition was evident in Hardy's decision to bring Pete Dye back in order to renovate the course. The renovations included lengthening as well as creating better spectator views for the tournament. The most major renovation may have been the building of Falling Rock, an extremely large clubhouse with extensive player treatment. Hardy's goal in these renovations was to make the most prestigious event possible. Hardy had publicly stated that he was interested in eventually hosting a U.S. Open at Nemacolin Woodlands, but unfortunately the difficulty of the course was questionable due to the low winning score from 2003.

In 2004, number one ranked player Vijay Singh accepted Hardy's invitation to play in the 84 Lumber Classic. The acceptance by Singh was a victory for the directors of tournament in attracting better competition. At the time, Singh was not endorsing the 84 Lumber company, but he received an offer after his victory. The second installment of the 84 Lumber Classic was a bigger success then the first, but suffered by the let down committed by Tiger Woods (see below). Singh went on to win over little opposition during his record setting year. The tournament yielded low scores despite the strong efforts to make the course more challenging by owner Joe Hardy.

The third installment of the 84 Lumber Classic carried the best turn-out of highly ranked players in the tournament's history. Two of the four best players in the world, Phil Mickelson and 84 Lumber sponsored Vijay Singh, attracted greater crowds. However, the expected battle between the two giants was dampened by a Cinderella story contestant who had recently leaped into the national spotlight. U.S. Open contender, Jason Gore, was able to pull off a magnificent victory after jumping up on to the PGA Tour from the Nationwide Tour. Gore's victory assured him a tour card for several years to come, while raising the question of whether Hardy should offer a sponsorship to the newcomer. However, the similarity between already sponsored John Daly and Gore forced Hardy to choose one over the other.

The 2006 tournament is set to be the last installment of the 84 Lumber Classic for financial reasons.

[edit] The End of the Classic

The 84 Lumber Company announced during the April of 2006 that it would no longer host the Classic. The move was unexpected, but understandable as the company had recently laid off a significant number of employees nationwide. Hardy's daughter, Maggie, explained the situation as the sponsorship of tournament being unfair to the thousands who had lost their jobs, and also unnecessary because the purpose of the tournament was to entertain clients — which the company could do at any other golf tournament. 2006 will be the last installment of the 84 Lumber Classic.

[edit] Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie

Both Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie have been possibilities in years past as well as the 2006 tournament. Number one ranked Tiger Woods was invited to play Mystic Rock early in his career by Joe Hardy, and did accept the invitation to play in 2005 and later declined. Teenage golfing phenomenon Michelle Wie has been invited to play in the men's event, but declined in 2005 due to the overwhelming length of the course. Michelle Wie could possibly play the tournament in 2006, but may decline once again as the course continues to lengthen.