It’s just a par-3, but No. 17 is hard — really hard
Pebble Beach’s final hole wades in acclaim for its beauty, drama and gentle, elegant curve along the Monterey Peninsula coastline. No. 18 is breathtaking, absolutely, probably the greatest closing hole in major championship golf.
Just do not be surprised if its next-door neighbor decides this week’s U.S. Open.
The 17th hole at Pebble does not carry quite the aesthetic charm of No. 18, but it sits on prized, picturesque waterfront property. And it also was the site of two of the most memorable shots in Open history.
It is where Tom Watson improbably holed his chip shot to move ahead of Jack Nicklaus on the 71st hole of the 1982 U.S. Open. It also is where Nicklaus struck his storied 1-iron shot off the flag stick to cement his victory in the ’72 U.S. Open.
Here’s the thing: These memorable birdies aside, No. 17 is hard. Really hard.
The hole, a par-3, measures 208 yards on the scorecard and heads straight for the ocean. Wind often blows briskly, swirling at times. There is a far-back, across-theroad tee from which the hole could play more than 220 yards, though the USGA may not use that tee this week.
Either way, the world’s best players will happily take par and hurry along to the 18th tee.
Consider this: No. 17 ranked as the hardest hole in relation to par in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble, with an average score of 3.49 and only 33 birdies all week (the fewest on any hole). The 17th also was the most difficult hole in the 1992 Open, at 3.46, and it ranked third in 2000 at 3.44.
“When you have to make par on that hole, it’s all you want, as tough as it gets,” Watson said.
Added PGA Tour Champions pro Kenny Perry: “That hole is impossible from the back tee. I’ve hit it from back there; it’s really far.”
And this from longtime tour pro Jason Gore: “It’s one of the greatest par-3s in the world.”
The hourglass-shaped green on No. 17 will look different this week than it did nine years ago, the last time Pebble Beach hosted the U.S. Open. In 2015, a renovation expanded the left side to create more potential pin placements; the green increased from 3,600 square feet to 5,000 square feet; and the lip of the sprawling front, left bunker was lowered. (There also are six smaller bunkers behind the green.)
Still, the green’s uncommon and distinctive shape — shallow but wide — makes it extraordinarily difficult to judge the distance and hit shots close to the hole.
Much depends on the wind, of course, and exactly where USGA officials place the tee and pin. PGA Tour officials often find friendly spots during the AT&T Pro-Am, given the presence of so many amateurs in the field.
That is why Jordan Spieth, too young to have played in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, realizes he has not experienced the full fury of No. 17.
“I haven’t played 17 when it’s been really mean,” Spieth said. “I’ve really only played it when it’s benign. I hit 5-iron a couple of years ago, but other than that it’s been 7-iron or 8-iron.
“The hole itself is really cool to play. There’s almost two separate par-3s. You either have the par-3 to the left green or the one to the right green. That right green is clearly easier. … But it’s just a beautiful golf hole.”
Few people have as much experience on No. 17 as Casey Boyns, a Pebble Beach caddie for nearly 38 years. Boyns grew up in the area and is an accomplished player, including two victories in the California Amateur Championship at Pebble.
Boyns has seen plenty of strange happenings at No. 17, from a hole-in-one to tee shots bouncing off the rocks and into the ocean or safely back onto land. Boyns even recalled the time a groundskeeper uncovered someone’s ashes in a bunker on No. 17.
He also understands the hole’s history and how it often plays a central role in which player hoists the U.S. Open trophy.
“It’s really weird,” Boyns said. “A lot of the tournaments come down to that hole more than No. 18.”
USGA officials consulted Boyns in their preparation for this week’s Open. He walked the course with them one day last month, answering their questions about Pebble’s intricacies and, especially, about possible hole locations.
Boyns was candid. He told USGA officials that they let the No. 17 green become too dry and firm during the 2010 Open, prompting several players to intentionally hit tee shots into the front bunker (and try to make par from there). Boyns thinks the same issue could resurface this week, if the green again dries out.
Or maybe a prominent player in contention in the final round next Sunday — say Spieth or Tiger Woods — will step to the No. 17 tee and pull his shot into thick rough left of the green. There, he will find a small plaque in the grass, commemorating Watson’s chip shot for the ages in 1982.
That serves as a tidy reminder: No. 17 is difficult, but it’s also not impossible.