Injury Rough Is Back And It's Lamer Than Ever!

I read through the lines after Sergio Garcia's post-round (76) comments about rough in Abu Dhabi, and wrote about it for GolfDigest.com. I think you'll be surprised to find Sergio was right to call out the course setup tactics.

Because just when you thought the days of injury-inducing rough had ended...

Update on Thursday, January 16, 2014 at 12:51 PM by Geoff

**A SkySports.com report quotes broadcaster Ewan Murray praising the rough, even though it might induce injury.

Murray described the course set-up as "marvellous", and said: "You are talking about setting up the golf course to test some of the finest players in the game today. In my opinion, that examination needs to be a stern one.

"Straight driving is very much part of the game and those who hit most fairways should have the advantage over those who don't. You will not beat these players will length alone, but you will identify the best of them by putting the premium on accuracy.

"The Tour should shorten the course on perhaps two of the four days and combine that with tucking the pins away. Give them different tests rather than the same all four rounds.

"The courses in the States are too easy. There is little or no rough and that plays into the hands of the long hitters. Their setting up of courses creates one dimensional players.

Who'd a thunk we'd come to the point that the U.S. was home to low rough and it was Europe trying to give us the dreadful high-rough, yawnfest golf?

"We copy America too often. The European Tour should take the lead, add variety and ask the players some different questions. When you do that the best will come up with the answers."

Asking players to walk a fine thin center line is not asking a different question. It's asking the same one-dimensional question over and over again.

Comments

[Stephen W]

I've never yet heard a SKY Sports Presenter criticise anything they are showing whether it be golf or, especially, soccer. Think it's more than their job's worth not to talk everything up.

[joe]

That's everyone's job. Promote the event. It is a TV show. There is some competition but it is a TV show. EVERYONE on TV promotes the show.

And I highly highly doubt the rough could/will cause injury.

[Lynn S.]

Straight driving should be part of the test of quality golf play. However it should be part of needing to drive into a location that gives you a superior advantage for the next shot. If your course is not properly designed or cannot be set-up this way, then the only remaing element to examine accurate driving is to grow rough and make the players drive to the middle of the fairway on every hole. Seems to me the tournament could then be held on the driving range.

[munihack]

The chance of injury shows up when a player tries to muscle a shot that the lie says should be a wedge. To me it is no different than Rory misjudging the root awhile back and trying a risky shot. Punishing rough is fine as long as the normal course lines are not manipulated (like Merion) to force players to play the hole a certain way and the width of the fairway is adequate. The reason players complain about it is they want to hit driver for distance rather than position- especially when the course has played easier in the past. They don't like to have to think on the tee box.

[DTF]

Stephen, you obviously missed their coverage of Deer-Antler-Velvet-Gate!

Mark Roe and Denis Pugh went on and on about how "Vijay's career is over"....morons.

As for the rough, was it similar last year at this event? If not, why the change, and who ordered it?

[PGT]

Lynn S is spot on but I don't mind a few events set up this way. Boring - perhaps, but at least it makes the players think about club selection off the tee - should they take 3w and have a longer iron in? or risk a Driver to set up a wedge? It's only risk/reward if there is a risk and low rough/trampled down bail outs is lame. So few courses that have low/no rough and can still penalize an errant drive (w/o big hazards or OB).