Oakmont par 3, 301 yds

Pathetic Shark said:
No professional is ever going to do that - if you are in contention in a major, you are doing whatever it takes to win.
You are thinking about it as a high-handicap amateur. You are not a professional.

Even when I was in real contention in a scratch open a decade ago, I came to a 480-yard par-4 that I knew I could not reach in two. I played it as a three shotter and then made the 10 foot par putt. And won by a shot.
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Seriously. You've never seen a professional lay up on a drivable par 4, or a par 5 that is reachable in 2?

I can't say I watch a lot of golf, but I've seen it hundreds of times.
 
evemccc said:
Does it matter?! He was still laying up at his preferred yardage and angle in to give himself the best chance of making 4, at the 13th…🤷🏻‍♂️
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Let's make 13 a par 4 then... I mean pars irrelevant
 
I may have missed it, but has anyone mentioned that the recommended maximum for a par 3 is 260 yards. I realise that professional golf doesn't have to follow our rules but it doesn't make much sense to create a difference.
 
Lord Tyrion said:
If par is irrelevant why does the scoreboard of any tournament focus on par and the score either under or over? I understand the point being made but par is very much a part of the pro game, whether on each hole or overall.
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It's a simple way to compare how people are doing who have played different numbers of holes.
 
Swango1980 said:
Seriously. You've never seen a professional lay up on a drivable par 4, or a par 5 that is reachable in 2?

I can't say I watch a lot of golf, but I've seen it hundreds of times.
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Please read the original post. You wrote it. We are talking about this one hole, not any other.

"If your in the lead and it's a 4 you lay up play safe for a 4
If you in the lead and it's a 3 you are still going for a 300 yard green to try and make a 3 "
 
Swango1980 said:
That isn't completely true.

How many times do we see a pro decide to lay up on a par 5, even though they are capable of going for it in 2. Perhaps they even just hit an iron off the tee.

Make that hole a par 4, you won't see any pro's purposely play 3 shots to the green, they'd only do that if a mistake forced them into it.
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The US Open has had par 4s 5 times over 540 yards, 2 of them being over 550 yards. The Pros will play them in a way that to ensure they take the least shots possible. Some pros may not reach these holes comfortably in 2, so they will play them as a 3 shotter if that suits them.
As mentioned before, the par of the hole has no bearing on how the pros play it.
 
D-S said:
The US Open has had par 4s 5 times over 540 yards, 2 of them being over 550 yards. The Pros will play them in a way that to ensure they take the least shots possible. Some pros may not reach these holes comfortably in 2, so they will play them as a 3 shotter if that suits them.
As mentioned before, the par of the hole has no bearing on how the pros play it.
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If the pros were purely interested in getting the lowest possible score, they'd always go for the green in as few shots as possible. However, when they lay up, they are doing so not to score the lowest possible score (as they pretty much eliminate any real chance of getting an eagle, and definitely an albatross). They are doing so to try and avoid a bad score, and hopefully get the birdie if they can get the one putt.

I've watched enough golf, and I've never actually seen a pro golfer choose to lay up on a long par 4, that being their plan from the tee. Perhaps if someone like Fred Funk or Bernard Langer are playing at The Masters, they may just be of an age where they cannot get there in two.

Conversely, I've seen hundreds of occasions where many pros choose to play a similar length par 5 as 3 shots to the green, even though that pro is capable of getting there in two and has the potential to have an eagle putt.
 
Swango1980 said:
If the pros were purely interested in getting the lowest possible score, they'd always go for the green in as few shots as possible. However, when they lay up, they are doing so not to score the lowest possible score (as they pretty much eliminate any real chance of getting an eagle, and definitely an albatross). They are doing so to try and avoid a bad score, and hopefully get the birdie if they can get the one putt.

I've watched enough golf, and I've never actually seen a pro golfer choose to lay up on a long par 4, that being their plan from the tee. Perhaps if someone like Fred Funk or Bernard Langer are playing at The Masters, they may just be of an age where they cannot get there in two.

Conversely, I've seen hundreds of occasions where many pros choose to play a similar length par 5 as 3 shots to the green, even though that pro is capable of getting there in two and has the potential to have an eagle putt.
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I've certainly seen pros play deliberately short of bunkers on long par 4's when there has been a stiff wind in their face ensuring they can't reach the green in 2.
 
Voyager EMH said:
I play with chaps who can't reach our slightly uphill 202 yard par-3 with driver.
It will be interesting for them to see the top pros put to a similar test.
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Exactly this, if anything a 290-310yd par 3 for pro’s is more relatable to 210-220 p3 for club golfers. Shorter pro’s may end up hitting the big dog depending on pin position & wind, for once it won’t be a birdie fest just for tv viewing but a real test of golfer.
 
Backache said:
I've certainly seen pros play deliberately short of bunkers on long par 4's when there has been a stiff wind in their face ensuring they can't reach the green in 2.
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Exactly, the par of the hole does not inform the playing strategy in any way shape or form for a Pro. If there is a stiff wind into on 8th at Oakmont and going for it is too much of a risk for a Pro, they will take appropriate caution, irrespective of whether it is a par 3 or a par 4.
 
Swango1980 said:
Seriously. You've never seen a professional lay up on a drivable par 4, or a par 5 that is reachable in 2?

I can't say I watch a lot of golf, but I've seen it hundreds of times.
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They do that to give themselves the best possible chance of playing the hole in the fewest number of shots, not to make 'birdies' or 'bogeys'. They could play 18 par 3's or 18 par 5's and be 20 over or 20 under, it is still a 72 or whatever they sign for.
 
The local cheap 9 holer near me has a 230 yd par 3. Given that the other holes are all fairly modest yardages and it’s used by learners, very casual occasional golfers and kids, it’s a slightly strange choice; bit like having a 360 yd par 3 on a pro course. Guess they just couldn’t bear to have a par 4 of that length 🤣. This thread makes me think of that hole…
 
The Squirrel said:
The local cheap 9 holer near me has a 230 yd par 3. Given that the other holes are all fairly modest yardages and it’s used by learners, very casual occasional golfers and kids, it’s a slightly strange choice; bit like having a 360 yd par 3 on a pro course. Guess they just couldn’t bear to have a par 4 of that length 🤣. This thread makes me think of that hole…
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Gedney Hill Golf Club has 4 par 4's 240 yards or less. Meanwhile, it has a Par 5 that is 668 yards. Unusual course
 
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