PGA stars enjoy Minnesota's finest weather

Posted at 4:50 PM on August 11, 2009 by Paul Huttner (1 Comments)

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Tiger Woods shares a moment on the 18th green during Tuesday's practice round.
(Photo by Paul Huttner)

Like the old beer commercial says: "It doesn't get any better than this."

The best golfers in the world were greeted by sunny skies, light breezes and perfect temperatures and humidity for practice rounds at Hazeltine Tuesday. Temperatures in the 80s and dew points in the 50s made for perfect conditions.

Six inches of rain pounded Hazeltine National in Chaska Friday night. The course is in such great shape today, you wouldn't know it sprinkled. The ponds are high, Lake Hazeltine looks full, and the creek running under the Payne Stewart Bridge on 16 is running as smooth as Rae's Creek at Augusta. It's amazing how well the course has drained just 3 days after a flash flood.

I had a chance to walk the course today. It was very warm in the sun, but nice and comfy if you can find some shade. It's going to get downright hot out there later this week, so be prepared. Here are some of the photos I captured during today's practice round. My digital camera is silent so I was able to capture a couple of shots near contact.

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Sergio Garcia chips one close.