DETROIT — I was on the hunt at the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Thursday.
Not for birdies or eagles or aces. Not for marquee players and groups. I was looking for something much, much harder to find: masks.
With smoke from Canadian wildfires continuing to cause a pungent haze over the Great Lakes region, the skies above Detroit Golf Club resembled the parking lot of a cannabis dispensary at 4:20 p.m., or any just about any random scene from your favorite “Cheech and Chong” movie.
I figured this meant fans would dig out their favorite masks from 2020 and don them as a precaution while they walked around the course. After 45 minutes on the front nine, it was clear it was going to be easier to find Waldo than a masked fan.
I saw about a dozen volunteers or tournament staff wearing masks, but I encountered just two fans who were masked: a man and a woman who were dating. It was her first tournament and his third, and he never considered missing it because of poor air quality. I’m confident this relationship is going the distance.
At 3 p.m., the government’s official air quality index at airnow.gov — the one the PGA Tour uses — measured 210 and was considered “very unhealthy.” When the AQI reaches 300 for a sustained period, the tour considers suspending play.
So I’ve got to hand it to all those unmasked Detroiters who waited a year to turn out by the thousands for Michigan’s premier golf event Thursday. Yep, they’re a hearty bunch.
Honestly, I didn’t find the air quality Thursday to be as noticeable or bothersome as it was Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. As I walked around, I wore a mask for 15 minutes. I noticed an improvement in the quality of air I inhaled, but it wasn’t drastically different.
Sam Ryder, who was tied for second after he shot 7-under-par 65, dealt with air-quality issues in previous tournaments in Minnesota and California. He said it wasn’t a factor Thursday.
Golf fans cheer after a birdie by Sungjae Im (not pictured) on the ninth hole during the first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament at Detroit Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Junfu Han-USA TODAY Sports
“Not really,” he said. “I mean yeah, it’s a little different. We kind of had that, played in that kind of haze yesterday. It seemed actually a little bit better today.”
Air quality would probably rank low among concerns for PGA Tour players. Wind and rain are much stronger factors, because they affect the flight paths of shots. If you just glance at the low scores on the Rocket’s leader board after the first round, it’s safe to say few players were bothered by the air quality, including Peter Kuest and Taylor Moore, who were tied for the lead at 64.
But players aren’t the only people on the course. There are tens of thousands of fans and support personnel on the grounds, and plenty of people have health concerns. Of course, it would be wise for people with breathing sensitivities to just stay home. But this is the golf-mad state of Michigan, where summers are treasured and golf is gold to many of us.
Two years ago, the PGA Tour adopted an air-quality policy after smoke from California wildfires made it hard to see balls in flight at the Barracuda Championship near Tahoe. That’s when the AQI index threshold of 300 was established, allowing the tournament’s chief referee to suspend play when it stays above 300 for a sustained period.
“It’s not an absolute stop,” Wade Stettner, the tour’s on-site meteorologist, told me Thursday. “But it’s kind of up to his discretion, more of a recommendation, depending on kind of the situation.”
Stettner said the AQI was 160 in the morning. After storms passed through, it jumped to 212.
“So we continue to monitor it and, you know, answer questions,” he said. “And people have them.”
Stettner said several people asked about air quality, including caddies, players’ wives and tournament staff. One reason he gets questions is that people often consult basic weather apps on their phones, which don’t always provide reliable readings.
The Tour uses airnow.gov, which accesses official weather stations, as well as its own monitoring devices.
By 4 p.m. Thursday, the AQI had dropped to 209, which was still considered “very unhealthy.” Airnow.gov encouraged people with heart or lung disease, as well as older adults, children and teens, to avoid physical activities outdoors. Everyone else was encouraged to avoid strenuous outdoor activities, to keep outdoor activities short or move them indoors.
But airnow.gov never met a golf-mad Michigander. Especially those who preferred to wear a smile instead of a mask as they chased their favorite players making birdies and eagles at Detroit Golf Club, regardless of what the AQI reading was on Thursday — even at 4:20.
Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.