Shaved greens on No. 16 play into risk-reward The brutal back nine of the Blue Course at Congressional Country Club has few birdie holes. One exception, however, is No. 16, a 579-yard par 5 that the USGA has configured with its new buzz term of choice: risk-reward.
The hole is one of the few that will play shorter than in 1997, when Congressional last hosted the U.S. Open. But while that will encourage players to go for the push-up green in two shots, there is trouble for players who miss. Instead of thick rough surrounding the green, the sides have been shaved. Balls that roll off the side or back of the green won’t stop until they reach trees or pine straw. Some shots could even finish out of bounds.
“It’s certainly reachable,” said world No. 1 Luke Donald, who is one of the shortest-hitting players in the field. “The miss is to play to the front edge of the green. If you get in that little swale just front to right, it’s a very easy chip to most pins.”
On a back nine where most holes will be played defensively, No. 16 will be where the action is, especially on Sunday when players pursuing the lead will be more likely to gamble. USGA executive director Mike Davis hinted that he might move the tees up further at No. 16 to up the ante.
“The Open could be won or lost there,” Davis said. “You may see some eagles. But if somebody hits a wrong shot, you may see a bogey or double bogey, too.”
Shinnecock Hills tabbed
Shinnecock Hills, site of one of the most embarrassing days in U.S. Open history, will get a reprieve. The famed course on Long Island will host the Open for the fifth time in 2018, the USGA announced Wednesday.
In 2004, when Retief Goosen won by two shots over Phil Mickelson, the story in the final round was the lightning fast greens, some too fast to play. The seventh hole had to be watered to keep balls on the surface. The stroke average in the final round was 78.7.
In naming Shinnecock, the USGA pointed to lessons learned.
“There’s a trademark to our championships and a long-standing trademark. They’re going to be difficult, but we hope they’re fair,” Davis said. “I look back on that, and it was a terribly unpleasant day.”
Stressed course
Five straight days with a heat index over 100 degrees were tough on Congressional, USGA officials admitted. But they are optimistic the course will be close to what they had hoped when players tee off in Thursday’s opening round.
The hot weather stunted the growth of rough. It also prevented the greens from being cut closely and reaching the desired Stimpmeter reading of 14.
“In a perfect world we would have the greens presented in terms of speed and firmness Monday through Wednesday. We simply couldn’t do that,” Davis said. “What the players are seeing [Wednesday] is really going to be what they see Thursday through Sunday.”
No fear for Cantlay
UCLA rising sophomore Pat Cantlay, winner of the Jack Nicklaus Trophy as the best Division I player, earned a slot in the Open, shooting a 135 at the Columbus, Ohio, qualifier.
Cantlay, a semifinalist in last year’s U.S. Amateur, is familiar with another player in the field, 16-year-old Beau Hossler. A year ago, they were high school rivals in Southern California.
Cantlay has not been intimidated by Congressional’s 7,574 yards or the notoriously rugged conditions players face in an Open.
“The rough here is very similar to the NCAA Championships,” Cantlay said. “Actually, it’s not as bad here.”
