Met PGA at Piping Rock

     It's worth getting out to the Met PGA Championship just to see the course and the magnificent grounds at Piping Rock, here in Locust Valley. It's an amazing place, this C.B. Macdonald course, with a sprawling wide driving range, grass tennis courts, croquet courts, a skeet shooting range.

       Par is a respectable score here, too, after all these years. The greens were softened by rain this week but the wind is up now. So maybe Danny Balin's 6-under par total through two rounds will survive the day. Balin is an assistant at Burning Tree in Greenwich and qualified this year for the PGA Championship. Half of the field is still out on the course. Colin Amaral, who was tied for the lead at 4-under after the first round yesterday, is 4-over through his first nine today and thus at even for the event.

        As Nassau Country Club assistant pro Mike Meehan said of Piping Rock, after he finished his second round at 1 over, "It's awesome."