Controversy hits Open qualifying

[Atticus_Finch]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/6261434.stm

What does everyone think of this?

I take it that one group plays the new course one day and old the next and vice versa?

If this is the case then they probably made the correct decision as it would be unfair on those playing the difficult pin position today. But if the pin positions stay the same both days, I reckon they should have left it, admit they had made a mistake, but say that it was fair as everyone was playing the same course.

Either way it's a bit embarrassing for them.

Incidently, who is it that actually decides on pin position?

 

[John_Findlay]

I'm wondering why on earth they're having Open qualifying at Sunningdale and not at a links course.

I believe it's usually the governing body (presumably the R & A in this case) who decide upon pin position.

 

[Shooter_McGavin]

I think qualifying offers the opportunity to use great courses that will never hold an Open because they are not links. You couldn't hold all regional qualifying at links courses purely because of location.

A very embarrassing situation for the R&A though - it will be interesting to see who chooses the pin positions next year.

 

[Par_Breaker]

It is the golfing organisers that choose the pin positions, for example the R&A, USGA or European Tour. On most occasions they pick six hard, six medium and six easy pin positions depending on the difficulty of the hole.

Qualifiers are played at high quality golf courses all over the world. They often vary but if the golfing body and participating players are happy then more often then not that course will hold that competition for many more years. Open qualifying for both the Open Championship and US Open are 36 holes over one day. In both circumstance the courses hosting the event have 36 holes e.g. Sunningdale and Walton Heath.

The R&A were perfectly correct in their decision to move the pin and ask the groups that had played that hole to return earlier. I was there and the players had no problem with that at all. The original pin placement as chosen with the weather conditions in mind, as it didn't rain overnight or in the morning the green was slicker than expected therefore putting became too extreme. It was changed and no fuss was made. As the golfing body in charge of that event the R&A will choose the pin placements there and always will do. To have someone else do it would be like a decorator choosing the wall paper and having a builder hang it for him - AN INSULT!

 

[PaulOHagan]

It would not be an insult for the European Tour to choose the pin positions as they are well practiced in the job doing it every week on Tour!