2022 Professional golf thread

[Leftitshort]

Maybe. Most of the players feel the same also
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/rory-mcilroy-arnold-palmer-invitational-crazy-golf/amp

Maybe we shouldn’t allow the premier league to play on the modern manicured pitches. Make them play every week at the baseball ground c1974. We don’t want to see good football just make it a massive lottery

 

[fenwayrich]

It was great viewing, not least because Scheffler sbowed such a superb attitude to extract himself from the problems he created with his inaccurate driving. And what an excellent putt he hit on 18 to seal the deal. Mighty impressive.

 

[Leftitshort]

One for the purist like I said ?

 

[Golfnut1957]

Maybe. Most of the players feel the same also
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/rory-mcilroy-arnold-palmer-invitational-crazy-golf/amp

Maybe we shouldn’t allow the premier league to play on the modern manicured pitches. Make them play every week at the baseball ground c1974. We don’t want to see good football just make it a massive lottery

Of course the players don't like it, why would they. They are used to 100 yd wide fairways, no rough and soft greens. Remember Chambers Bay and all their whining. Remember Phil at Shinnecock and his ridiculous attempt at "making a point".
No make it tough, and they all cry like babies. I remember one year at the Memorial, Jack introduced V shaped tines on the bunker rakes, making bunker shots way more difficult. They weren't there the following year, the babies had all cried and force Jack to reintroduce normal tines.
They are the best in the world and on weekends like last, they get a chance to prove it.

 

[garyinderry]

The course has them absolutely rattled but theres no excuse for some of the shots played. G macs shank, fitzpatrick shank, guy completely topping it out of a fairway bunker, rory completely blowing a flop shot miles over the green. The list goes on.

 

[phillarrow]

literally did ‘For those moaning about rock hard greens, penal rough, etc. have you never watched The Open, or played links golf?’

That's not the same as saying "Bay Hill is like a links course." which is what you suggested I was saying.
Try reading the rest of the post and pausing before jumping into an argument.

I was making the point that rock hard greens are not unusual in golf and that we don't moan about rock hard greens when we have an open championship in the middle of a heatwave - we see it as a great test for these players who are used to spongy landings. Also, that luck plays a big part of some of the best golf courses in the world i.e. our traditional links open courses.

Some people like watching target golf. Some like watching it when it's a bit more of a roller coaster and enjoy seeing the best in the world have to get very creative around the greens. Some like both of the above.

 

[Boomy]

Maybe. Most of the players feel the same also
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/rory-mcilroy-arnold-palmer-invitational-crazy-golf/amp

Maybe we shouldn’t allow the premier league to play on the modern manicured pitches. Make them play every week at the baseball ground c1974. We don’t want to see good football just make it a massive lottery

As mentioned by others, of course they don’t like it - it rattled them and caused an obscene amount of unforced errors. They’re the best in the world and should be able to adapt - which Scheffler did. A handful of them all had the chance to win down the stretch… the majority of them played bad shots to blow it.

Being a member of a links golf golf course and playing it weekly I can safely say you need more luck on a links track than they needed at Bay Hill - random bounces from the middle of the fairway are common place, putting you into the first cut or even thicker rough sometimes. Links golf can be penal when you’re looking for balls which landed in the middle of the fairway but aren’t there. At Bay Hill if they hit the fairway it stayed on it.. The problem highlighted every time there is a premium on accuracy is that they’re more used to 100 yard wide fairways and just smashing it wildly. Different game when accuracy is the key.

Your football analogy bears no resemblance to the golf. The fairways were manicured perfectly if/when they found them. The rough was consistent, stay in play and you don’t have worry about it. As I’ve agreed with way back the greens would have benefitted from some water, but not to the point where they’re stopping it on a tuppence.

 

[Leftitshort]

Maybe there’s is a sadistic streak in a lot of fellas. Also it probably makes you feel better about your 95 blows in the am watching the best players chop it around. Any course that has to kill the greens to make it a challenge is tricked up

 

[Imurg]

Seems to be a split...some li,e to see them struggle, some li,e to see birdies all the time..

Why can't it just be somewhere in the middle...?
Hit a good shot - get rewarded.
Seems like Bay Hill didn't reward many good shots.

 

[Boomy]

Maybe there’s is a sadistic streak in a lot of fellas. Also it probably makes you feel better about your 95 blows in the am watching the best players chop it around. Any course that has to kill the greens to make it a challenge is tricked up

Ha ha ? “95 blows” ? Desperate individual turning to slanderous comments towards people.

 

[Leftitshort]

Seems to be a split...some li,e to see them struggle, some li,e to see birdies all the time..

Why can't it just be somewhere in the middle...?
Hit a good shot - get rewarded.
Seems like Bay Hill didn't reward many good shots.

The argument always gets reduced down to extremes. No one is asking for. 30 under birdie fest. Just like no one is really asking for unfair comp on dead greens akin to putting on a granite work surface. Somewhere in the middle is good. Maybe this weekend?

 

[Boomy]

Seems to be a split...some li,e to see them struggle, some li,e to see birdies all the time..

Why can't it just be somewhere in the middle...?
Hit a good shot - get rewarded.
Seems like Bay Hill didn't reward many good shots.

What? That is exactly what it did do, it rewarded accuracy and skill.

I’ve said it right from the start, the greens needed a bit of moisture (just a little) but not to target golf level - the set up of the rest of the course was great.

The issue was the amount of errant shots and unforced errors the players hit - the cream rose to the top on Sunday - bearing in mind there were still 3-4 players who could have won down the stretch. They didn’t lose by bad luck.

 

[IanM]

Generally I think the greens were a smidge firmer than the course set up required. Everything else was spot on.

It needed players to adopt a US Open mindset, ie Par is good and pick up a birdie where possible.

American audiences expect golf like Basketball. A score (birdies) every 25 seconds or they nod off ;-)


More please!

 

[timd77]

Must admit I didn’t watch it all weekend but what I did see was enjoyable, largely because of the rough. I suppose the only thing I would say is that greens were a bit harsh, lots of players hit decent shots into the green but couldn’t quite hold them and we’re massively punished for that by nestling down into thick rough (unless you’re lucky enough to be Billy Horshel and just get a free drop onto the fringe!), when normally they’d be looking to get up and down. But that’s the game, no 2 courses the same, that’s why we love it.

What I would say is that, that doesn’t excuse some of the really poor shots… Rahm’s fluffed putt, Rory and Gooch missing short putts which rattled 5-6 feet past the hole, others shanking etc. Can’t blame the course for that.

I enjoyed it and it was good to see the leaders chopping and changing all the time.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

You beat me to it! For those moaning about rock hard greens, penal rough, etc. have you never watched The Open, or played links golf? Granted, the rough is often not quite so penal but factor in the contours of the fairways and there's an awful lot of luck involved with virtually every shot. Luck is just part of golf. ?‍

It’s never as simple as rock hard greens at links so it should be ok anywhere

Links courses generally have harder greens and the course is set up to play that way , people don’t have to hit the green because they can drop it short and the ball can run up , it’s a different set up and way of playing

Bay Hill is a parkland Course - they generally don’t have greens sat down where you can run in , they also have greens surrounded by tough at tbe front and bunkers etc so the expectation is for players to be going into the greens with height and direct especially with lots of them raised up

Because the greens were that hard at times players where landing on the green but then just flying through - even with wedges from the fairway , good shouts were punished , if the course was set up like a links then hard fast greens aren’t an issue

No one wants to see target golf and 20 plus under winning it but that doesn’t mean you trick up the greens and go the complete opposite way - there should always be middle ground - the middle ground was fine on the first two days - went silly the next two

 

[phillarrow]

It’s never as simple as rock hard greens at links so it should be ok anywhere

Links courses generally have harder greens and the course is set up to play that way , people don’t have to hit the green because they can drop it short and the ball can run up , it’s a different set up and way of playing

Bay Hill is a parkland Course - they generally don’t have greens sat down where you can run in , they also have greens surrounded by tough at tbe front and bunkers etc so the expectation is for players to be going into the greens with height and direct especially with lots of them raised up

Because the greens were that hard at times players where landing on the green but then just flying through - even with wedges from the fairway , good shouts were punished , if the course was set up like a links then hard fast greens aren’t an issue

No one wants to see target golf and 20 plus under winning it but that doesn’t mean you trick up the greens and go the complete opposite way - there should always be middle ground - the middle ground was fine on the first two days - went silly the next two

That's a good, well-reasoned response.

I still think most (not all) of the greens were accessible and could be played by running the ball up (as with links courses), but I take your point that the course is not designed to be played in this way and so it threw many players out.

I would liken it to us hacks playing parkland golf in the winter. Slights fats that we would get away with in the summer are punished more in winter because the fairways are just too soft. It is what it is and if we are playing well and having a good striking day, we don't notice how punishing it is - but there is far less margin for error and we MUST have a good day to do okay. Bay Hill was a tough set up but not, in my opinion, worth the fall out from those who found it too hard.

 

[Boomy]

It’s never as simple as rock hard greens at links so it should be ok anywhere

Links courses generally have harder greens and the course is set up to play that way , people don’t have to hit the green because they can drop it short and the ball can run up , it’s a different set up and way of playing

Bay Hill is a parkland Course - they generally don’t have greens sat down where you can run in , they also have greens surrounded by tough at tbe front and bunkers etc so the expectation is for players to be going into the greens with height and direct especially with lots of them raised up

Because the greens were that hard at times players where landing on the green but then just flying through - even with wedges from the fairway , good shouts were punished , if the course was set up like a links then hard fast greens aren’t an issue

No one wants to see target golf and 20 plus under winning it but that doesn’t mean you trick up the greens and go the complete opposite way - there should always be middle ground - the middle ground was fine on the first two days - went silly the next two

The majority of the players didn’t adapt to the conditions, as simple as that - it rattled them and they were still firing right at the pins (because it’s what they’re used to) There were more unforced errors than ‘unlucky bounces’ over the weekend.

 

[SatchFan]

Whatever the conditions I enjoyed it and with several players in contention right to the very end it was a good watch.

 

[BubbaP]

The majority of the players didn’t adapt to the conditions, as simple as that - it rattled them and they were still firing right at the pins (because it’s what they’re used to) There were more unforced errors than ‘unlucky bounces’ over the weekend.

In a game where a players plays their own ball, can you explain what the difference is between an "error", and an "unforced error"? Who is doing the "forcing"?

 

[Boomy]

In a game where a players plays their own ball, can you explain what the difference is between an "error", and an "unforced error"? Who is doing the "forcing"?

It’s a term they seem to use a lot on the commentary and reviews.

I see it like this: ball in the middle of the fairway, good lie - player misses the green well wide and into the water - unforced error.
Ball in the rough, downhill lie - player misses the green well wide and into the water - forced error.

That seems to be how they explain it on TV ?