Boring St Andrews ?

[Fyldewhite]

"I played Southerness a couple of weeks ago in a strong wind and I doubt if the final round would have been the sterile procession we saw yesterday had it been at any other decent links".

For the record, unlike all great professional golfers including Nicholas, Palmer,Player,Seve,Watson, etc, ...Flydewide does not consider ST Andrews a DECENT LINKS!!

Southerness??? St ANDREWS!! As they say up here....NAE CLASS!!

Sorry, I wasn't meaning that. Of course it is a decent links but it produced a (mostly) crap open even when the wind blew most of the time. I just think that there are many other links courses that would have produced (maybe) a bit more exitement on the final day.

 

[Smiffy]

But do you not think that Oostergeezers lead took something away from it?
I mean, look how many people on here have said they would pay thousands of pounds or give up their wives to have a bash at Augusta.
When Woods won around there with his record score?? Boring. Fell asleep.

 

[freddielong]

I think Ooustiywoozeys lead did take the wind out of eveyones sails, but I think the course was amazing and if anything proved she should be on the open rota because of the differnt challenges she sets

 

[RGDave]

The issue with St Andrews, and possibly what makes it boring to watch, is the fact that you can miss the pin by 100 yards, and still be putting. Surely this should be wrong.

OR, the alternative view might be that this is right and actually most courses have re-invented the idea of a golf course and made it wrong.
"Normal" links courses aren't even the same as the Old course.
Lytham and Birkdale etc. are like a hybrid course.
I not fussed with what's wrong and right (in a way) but a "modern" Open championship course needs to test regardless.
I personally feel that tee-green it's not hard enough.

 

[bobmac]

2 things stood out for me this year.
Oostigeezer holing that put for eagle when Casey had closed the gap to 3

Tiger, when asked what he will remember about this year's Open replied "I didn't win it"

 

[Fyldewhite]

But do you not think that Oostergeezers lead took something away from it?
I mean, look how many people on here have said they would pay thousands of pounds or give up their wives to have a bash at Augusta.
When Woods won around there with his record score?? Boring. Fell asleep.

Yes it did and I'm sure if there had been 4 or 5 within 2 shots of the lead at the outset it would have produced exitement. My point was that I never thought there was any realistic chance of a comeback given the course setup, especially on the back 9. There have been easy (and boring) wins at other courses but Augusta has also produced many a brilliant comeback on it's back 9 that I doubt would ever have materialised with a St Andrews set up like yesterday, or ever will for that matter.

PS I'd give up my wife AND pay thousands to play Augusta

 

[Tommo21]

St Andrews is a fantastic course with a long and noble tradition …….. however the professionals of today have the ability and equipment to conquer it all too easily as was seen this weekend ……….. the only time the course had ‘teeth’ was when the weather conditions deteriorated to such an extent that it was almost unplayable.

Perhaps it’s time for the R&A to stop using it as a venue for The Open …………

Tell me, in Sundays reasonable conditions who amongst the leaders tore it apart, sorry, who conquered it all too easily. The facts are most players went backward and any course with conditions like Thursday will be there for the taking. Big Jack, Ray Floyd and Tiger all ripped Augusta apart by 17 and 18 under par and that’s going back many years to more resent times. I never heard one word against Augusta.

Links and the wind is part of that game…..a big part. The same will happen next year, if the wind doesn’t blow.

 

[birdieman]

PS I'd give up my wife AND pay thousands to play Augusta

I would think with no crowds, no azeleas and dogwoods in blossom and members pace greens it wouldn't be all that. Augusta's only defence is the pace of the greens. The fairways are huge. Look at it on google maps, it's stuck in the middle of a small city and looks like any old parkland municipal in this country!

Cypress Point, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Whistling Straits, Black Diamond Ranch or Kiawah Island any day before Augusta.

 

[JustOne]

Big Jack, Ray Floyd and Tiger all ripped Augusta apart by 17 and 18 under par and that’s going back many years to more resent times. I never heard one word against Augusta.

That sounds exciting! I wish I was watching that instead of the dross that was on for the past 4 days

Maybe they should make the bunkers at St.Andrews absolutely mahooooosive, that way it might make it watchable - coffins indeed, hell bunker my ass. Maybe flatten the green so you can atleast hit something close and make a few birdies. was surprised Westwood managed to get under par every round, he's like a boring par machine.

 

[In_The_Rough]

I tend to think that modern technology has made a lot of St Andrews main threats redundant. There is no need to take on the majority of the fairway bunkers anymore. It is still a test when the wind blows as I'd say 60% of the field didn't have the game to deal with the conditions (many would never have experiences links golf and wind). I still think it has a place on the Open rota but maybe in need of a Wentworth style review

Totally agree here there is no risk involved now for the Pro's. How many Bunker shots were there ? Even when they went off the fairway unless they went in a Gorse bush like Casey did it posed no real threat most of the time time for a review on all aspects of the Course I think. Isn't it protected by ancient laws though as to what they can change on it?

 

[Tommo21]

Seen plenty of bunker shots when I was there.....you dont see them on the telly unless its the road hole.

 

[andiritchie]

The only downside in this years open imo was the lack of drama in the last round.We have been spoiled in the three opens with some awesome back nine action and this year didn't live up to that.

St Andrews is still a fine test for the pro players just look at Rory's 63-80 it shows she can be mean.I would of loved some barely playable wind on the last day just to spice things up a little.

 

[Smiffy]

Tiger, when asked what he will remember about this year's Open replied "I didn't win it"

That made me smile too

 

[KeefG]

IMHO, the final day was a complete & utter anti-climax to what had been a decent 3 days of golf so far.

Admittedly not the best Open there has ever been but by no means the pathetic show that some on here are making it out to be, the biggest let down of all was the lack of challenge though. For the last 7 groups out not to pick up any birdies for something ridiculous like 52 played holes is shambolic on their part, not on the part of the course.

That said, I do believe St Andrews needs to have a little think in preparation for 2015, as has already been said, being able to hit a wayward drive some 100yds left/right of your designated target and still have a good lie and clear line of sight to the pin is just not right.

If it was down to me, I would see where some of the shorter holes could be lengthened, I believe what they have done to the 17th is excellent and should be replicated around the course where possible, most of this extra yardage could & should come from making the greens a lot smaller, on that point I would make the greens an awful lot smaller, and I must stress an awful lot smaller. I would also introduce more bunkers on the shorter par 4's as they are just far too easy for the big hitters!

Nothing too drastic, but something to make the course that little bit harder eve in calm conditions.

 

[Robobum]

Looks as though I'm in a minority of 1 here but i loved it!!

Right up until the Casey hook into the gorse it was cat & mouse. How hard should Casey push? Would Oohahhuitsty crack?

Fair play to him, hard work done over 3 days, capitilised on the weather conditions and asked the rest to come catch him on the sunday.

 

[GasMan]

Noone is biting jouk, links is a great test of golf, sometimes unfairly though for example, hitting the middle of the fairway off the tee only to watch it bumble it's way 50 yards along the ground and take every bump and borrow ending in a bunker or sliding off the green.

You make it sound like a ball won't run off a fairway on any other course

The Old Course is at the bottom of my list of courses to play, just above Tilgate

That's a touch harsh on Tilgate! If the wind blows even half as hard round there you are proper screwed with the stinging nettles 2 feet past the 2nd cut - about 15 feet from the edge of the fairway!

St Andrews is more boring than anybody who says older golfers aren't the main perpotrators of causing slow play! Only just mind!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think it needs toughnening up but what do you do with the land you've got and how far do you go. Maybe accept that once every few years an Open is won with a low score. It makes the grinding out around Carnoustie etc a bit more palatable

 

[JustOne]

That's a touch harsh on Tilgate! If the wind blows even half as hard round there you are proper screwed with the stinging nettles 2 feet past the 2nd cut - about 15 feet from the edge of the fairway!

Tilgate is where I learned to swing a club 16+ yrs ago... I'm still recovering

 

[KeefG]

I think it needs toughnening up but what do you do with the land you've got and how far do you go. Maybe accept that once every few years an Open is won with a low score. It makes the grinding out around Carnoustie etc a bit more palatable

The easiest and simplest option would be to make the greens a lot smaller, thus giving the players a much smaller target to aim at and would probably alleviate the 100 mile putts we kept seeing all weekend.

 

[toonarmy]

It's a good job the R&A don't pay too much attention to the average golf fan if this thread is anything to go by.

Had the scoring conditions on day 1 not been perfect, the winning score would probably have been around -8/-9. In my mind, around about -12 is the best score to win a tournament, as this gives late chargers a chance and you can still be in it with 1 over-par round.

To complain about St Andrews is just bizarre. So what if there are massive fairways and huge greens? It's still about 'how many' not 'how', just like on any other course. For the people moaning about 100ft putts, where else do you see this? Is it not good to see pros playing differently and adapting to the conditions? And if anyone thinks 100ft putts are an easy 2-putt...I'd like to see you face them on regular greens, let alone quick greens with enormous slopes.

I'll bet you more players had more 3 putts this week than any other for the year. Rather than slate the course for its lack of bunker play, how about praising the players for their ability to get round without going in them very often? The bunkers are so punitive that they know they have to avoid them at all costs - a bit like they're some sort of hazard...

With only 2 3s and 2 5s, it's harder for pros to score as easily. The 1st is meant to be an easy hole but look how many people bogeyed it.

Damp and no wind does render the old girl a bit pointless, but how many other courses does that apply to? The simple fact that the course can still provide a hell of a test all these years later with hardly any modifications is a testament to how good it is.

Asking for it to be taken off the rota or USGA-ified makes as much sense a Garth Crooks question.

Blaming the course for the winner is like blaming the bullet for killing someone. Oosthuizen took advantage of the weather on the first two days and then showed top class nerve to stay in front. He is under no obligation to make it more exciting; that is the job of the chasing pack.

There.