THERE were times during the Million Dollar Challenge when Dennis Bruyns must have been the most disliked man at Sun City.
For it was Bruyns, former PGA tournament director and a one-time touring professional, who was the man behind the sometimes devillish pin placements across the four days of the tournament.
“My philosophy about pin placements is fairly simple,” says the amiable Bruyns by way of explanation. “There are greens where no matter where you put the pin it will be difficult to reach and those where, no matter how you shift the tee box or position the cup, it will be a lot easier.
“But in essence you have to strike a balance which provides an equal test for the long hitters like Ernie Els and those, like Mark McNulty, who don’t have his length off the tee.
“That means that you position the pins in such a way that – – ideally — all the players have to use every club in their bags over the four rounds.”
In that Bruyns must have come close to succeeding, with something to reward and punish both the brave and the conservative. Certainly, it would be borne out by 49-year- old Hale Irwin managing to match par for the tournament despite having nothing like his former length with a driver in hand.
How then, you ask Bruyns, does he decide exactly which hole will have which particular placement on any given day. “Simple,” he says again. “Lots of sleepless nights.”