play off "too cruel?

[pokerjoke]

Just watching the playoff and Westwood sticks it in the water.
Peter Alliss in commentary said that it "was cruel" too cruel.
Surely not,thats what its all about,it comes down to whos got the bottle,and whos nerve holds out,your thoughts

 

[Dodger]

Not cruel at all.

Westwoods arse went again,wasn't Lukes fault.

 

[richart]

Poor finishing hole. Donald nearly pitches in the bunker and spins back close to the hole. Westwood pitches just over the pin and spins into the water. I want to see players taking on the green in two, not playing for a pitch and putt birdie. Why do they want to make Wentworth like an American course ?

 

[ash01]

I personally think its a poor finishing hole as Richart says.

They both went past the flag with plenty of spin to bring them down to it.

Westwood was a little off line and got punished. Up until that point I was bored though.

Ash!!

 

[Matty]

Sudden death situations in sport are never comfortable viewing in my opinion. Penalty shoot outs in football, play offs in golf.

Someone has always done exceptionally well up until that point only to be punished by a small error.

All that said - how else are winners to be chosen?

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Poor finishing hole. Donald nearly pitches in the bunker and spins back close to the hole. Westwood pitches just over the pin and spins into the water. I want to see players taking on the green in two, not playing for a pitch and putt birdie. Why do they want to make Wentworth like an American course ?

Hang on, don't you think that these players and caddies know how the green slopes? Don't you think they know that hitting a wedge is going to generate spin? Don't you think they know that hitting it too far left runs the risk of spinning back into the water? Don't you think Lee just hit it in the wrong place?

All I've heard all week is that 18 isn't exciting because you can't go for it in 2. The only reason people want to see players going for it in 2 is because there's a chance of going in the drink.

If Westwood had gone for that in 2 and gone in the water from 250yds everyone would say how unlucky he was and wasn't it exciting? Because he went in with a wedge the hole is no good.

Frankly I don't buy it, it's a frigging par 5 for Christ sake it isn't supposed to be easy to hit in two and it isn't supposed to yield a whole load of eagles. It's about time people started to appreciate that there is more to the game of golf than hitting 600yd holes in 2 shots.

Donald hit a quality wedge shot and Westwood couldn't match it, don't blame the hold for that.

 

[Mungoscorner]

The 18th at Wentworth used to be a risk and reward hole i.e go for it in two and have the chance to make eagle,fail and still have the chance to make birdie,or par at worst,now its an all or nothing hole,with only a few players risking the green in two.Target golf.

 

[USER1999]

Yep. It's a par 5. If you can get on in two, it's a par 4. Length is irrelevant.

That said, anyone who can get back spin from c of c grooves is a golfing god. I flipping can't.

 

[CrapHacker]

It's ok to have the water close to the green.

But to have no rough so that a good shot goes in the drink is bad design.

The water is there for a mishit, not for a shot that is too well struck. Ok it was 2 yards off line. Which should mean he gets to play a longer, tougher putt. It shouldn't lose him the title and the world no.1 spot.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

The 18th at Wentworth used to be a risk and reward hole i.e go for it in two and have the chance to make eagle,fail and still have the chance to make birdie,or par at worst,now its an all or nothing hole,with only a few players risking the green in two.Target golf.

Let's be fair about it, 17 gives you exactly that, 18 gives you something different, if Westwood wanted an eagle or birdie in the last 2 holes he shouldn't have missed the green so badly right on 17.

Personally I don't want players having tap in birdies on every par 5, I want to see them have to demonstrate a range of skills. If 17 gives you then chance of eagle, I want 18 to make you think something different.

 

[Dodger]

It's ok to have the water close to the green.

But to have no rough so that a good shot goes in the drink is bad design.

The water is there for a mishit, not for a shot that is too well struck. Ok it was 2 yards off line. Which should mean he gets to play a longer, tougher putt. It shouldn't lose him the title and the world no.1 spot.

That's bollocks.

So the same can be said for Augusta and many many more courses then?

The water is a hazard and like bunkers they it is not solely for mis hits.

 

[colint]

I don't understand people complaining about it now being more difficult to hit the green in 2. BEfore the changes, it was a par 4 in all but name, practically all the players used to hit it in 2 and walk off with a birdie. There's nothing exciting about an easy par 5 that everyone has an eagle putt on. It's still reachable in 2, Els did it last year after taking a 3 wood off the tee.

Westwood had just seen Luke hit the ball to the back of the green and spin back to the flag. He played shorter and wide, he either miss hit it or he's a dumbass. If he had any bottle he'd have smashed his drive and tried to get there in 2, knowing Luke probably couldn't / wouldn't.

Bottled it again, he'll be back at the outer mongolia open soon no doubt picking up some easy ranking points

 

[CrapHacker]

It's ok to have the water close to the green.

But to have no rough so that a good shot goes in the drink is bad design.

The water is there for a mishit, not for a shot that is too well struck. Ok it was 2 yards off line. Which should mean he gets to play a longer, tougher putt. It shouldn't lose him the title and the world no.1 spot.

That's bollocks.

So the same can be said for Augusta and many many more courses then?

The water is a hazard and like bunkers they it is not solely for mis hits.

Yup, I say the same about Augusta.

But it's always been like that, and it's part of the history of teh course, so I accept it with a smile and the odd tut.

But Wentworth is a proper English course, and should be set up as one - not a cheap Augusta copy.

 

[Dodger]

Are you Allis's brother?

Next you'll be saying that all courses should be made so golf can be played along the ground like that doddery old bugger was moaning about today.

 

[Swinger]

Personally I like the 18th at Wentworth.

They all have a go for it in practice and I've seen plenty of eagle chances from close range in the last two years.

If you don't hit the drive/3 wood in the right place then it isn't worth and it can be a little awkard off the tee but definatly do able without too much stress.

On the flip side if you struggle to get the ball on the green in three then maybe it can't be done in two!!


Not cruel though, I think Westwood would have won any play off or outright if anyone else was chasing. Luke deserves World No.1 and at the moment he is playing amazing golf. Was nice to see the two of them fighting it out and hopefully we'll see a lot more of them battling things out.

Westy will be back on top soon enough!!

Has anyone mentioned Luke not winning a major yet?

 

[CrapHacker]

Are you Allis's brother?

Next you'll be saying that all courses should be made so golf can be played along the ground like that doddery old bugger was moaning about today.

What?

Like they play in Scotland?

Nah. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.



I have no problems with the rough being thin enough to let a bouncing ball clear it, but a rolling ball shouldn't cause a loss of a tournament. If the rough had been thick/wide enough to hold the ball it still would have left Lee with a tricky pitch, and he would have probably made a par at best.

That would still have left Luke with the chance to take it with a birdie.

Ok so Lee lost the tournament because of the 3 putt at 16 or because he missed a relatively simple putt on the 72nd, or because he bottled th etee shot on the playoff, but it should still have needed Luke to win the playoff hole, not get given it by default.

You mention bunkers as hazards. Pros still have a chance to play out of a bunker and not lose the tournament. But once Lee ended up in the water, there was no chance unless he fluked a nigh on impossible chip in.

 

[birdieman]

It's a good finish imo and better than it used to be.

Pros should be able to control spin with short irons, Luke got it right by going to the back of the green with spin, Westwood was too far left and too short and didn't take the spin off it - his fault, not the course's. Poor shot execution for an 80yd shot.

 

[colint]

It's a good finish imo and better than it used to be.

Pros should be able to control spin with short irons, Luke got it right by going to the back of the green with spin, Westwood was too far left and too short and didn't take the spin off it - his fault, not the course's. Poor shot execution for an 80yd shot.

Especially when 30 seconds before someone had just shown you exactly what to do from practically the same position

 

[CrapHacker]

It's a good finish imo and better than it used to be.

Pros should be able to control spin with short irons, Luke got it right by going to the back of the green with spin, Westwood was too far left and too short and didn't take the spin off it - his fault, not the course's. Poor shot execution for an 80yd shot.

Especially when 30 seconds before someone had just shown you exactly what to do from practically the same position

Yes the shot deserved to be punished, but it didn't deserve to hang draw and quarter his whole tournament.

If you pinch a bag of sweets from Tescos you get a fine, if you nick a million in gold bullion, you'll go down for it.

You don't lose everything for a small offence.

 

[colint]

It's a good finish imo and better than it used to be.

Pros should be able to control spin with short irons, Luke got it right by going to the back of the green with spin, Westwood was too far left and too short and didn't take the spin off it - his fault, not the course's. Poor shot execution for an 80yd shot.

Especially when 30 seconds before someone had just shown you exactly what to do from practically the same position

Yes the shot deserved to be punished, but it didn't deserve to hang draw and quarter his whole tournament.

If you pinch a bag of sweets from Tescos you get a fine, if you nick a million in gold bullion, you'll go down for it.

You don't lose everything for a small offence.

It absolutely did deserve it ! The water wasn't a suprise, he know it was there. What's the one thing you'd be thinking in a play off with your opponent on the green ? Probably "don't go in the water". If he couldn't work that out he deserves all he got.