Players hail course changes amid high winds
After the controversies of recent months, it was rare to hear one of golf ’s governing bodies being praised, but the R&A’s cautious course set-up yesterday was met with wide approval.
Fearing a repeat of last year at St Andrews – when the decision to send out the field in high winds which made the balls move on greens had to be reversed – the Open organisers acted quickly to keep the speed of the greens down and move some tees and pin positions. A statement from the R&A read: “The weather forecast is for 15-25mph winds with gusts of up to 30mph throughout the day. Following our early morning set-up process, we have decided not to cut or roll the greens and certain pins and tees are being adjusted.”
The R&A’s director of rules, Grant Moir, told Sky Sports: “We’ve moved one hole position on the third to give more green to work with. The back nine, when the wind is coming in and across, it is more likely we will move the tees up. I think we will move the 11th tee up for sure.
“We’ve had balls oscillating out here when we arrived this morning as it was gusting about 26mph. The fifth green is exposed on the coastline and the 17th green sits high and flat so they are the greens we have been watching. We’ve taken action this week knowing this may be coming. The decision taken today is just something we have had to do.”
There was no dissent from the players, who were doubtless relieved that the R&A had been persuaded by common sense. The R&A came under attack 12 months ago when they only relented after 32 minutes to postpone Saturday play and at last month’s US Open the United States Golf Association was condemned for telling Dustin Johnson, the eventual champion, that he “might” be penalised for making his ball move as he addressed it on the fifth green, despite being initially absolved of wrongdoing. It meant he and his rivals played the rest of their rounds unclear what the exact score was.
But here the world No 1 Jason Day was applauding the powers that be. The R&A moved up the tees on the notorious 11th by almost 30 yards and the 15th by 20 yards. “I can understand where their head’s at. Because I was laying in the hotel room last night and the wind was whipping across,” Day said after his commendable level-par 71 left him on one over. “I think it’s a good move.
“And I mean, the decision to not cut and roll the greens wasn’t too crazy. I think they were 9.11 [on the stimpmeter] yesterday and 9.5 today. So it’s not overly slow. I think it’s still very playable, obviously. I think they’re doing a good job with how they’re running the tournament with how, obviously, the conditions are. We’ve had a lot of everything this week.”
The Postage Stamp was brought forward to 100 yards but this was nothing to do with the weather. The R&A wanted to bring the front bunker into play. Again, it was greeted positively. “It’s fantastic to see a bit of imagination like that,” Lee Westwood said, after his 73 left him on four-over. “Just goes to show all the best par threes in the world and all the memorable ones are the ones under 160 yards. Here, the seventh at Pebble Beach, the 17th at Sawgrass and the 12th at Augusta are four that come to mind.
“They’re great par threes that require some thinking. It’s a shame course designers think a good par three is now 240, 250 yards. It shows a lack of imagination, in my opinion, and it’s nice to see one playing at 99 yards and playing difficult and needing a lot of thought and concentration.”