Only Nine Players Hit Muirfield's 16th On Sunday

The weather was feisty but the quality of the leaderboard made it a bit eye-opening that only nine players hit Muirfield Village's 16 green Sunday. Gary McCord hit the point as deftly as he could with the architect of the revamped hole hosting the event.

TTo have only nine players in the final round of the Memorial keep their tee shots on the putting surface was one thing, but to have so many miss so consistently will be of even greater concern when the tour staff reviews the ShotLink numbers. The 2017 leaderboard was stacked with some pretty big names, and while we'd love to chalk this freaskishly low number to just the wind, the architecture deserves more scrutiny. A combination of the hole's odd angle, yardage and green complex remains problematic, at best. And new green firmness can no longer be blamed.

Here are the greens in regulation numbers from Thursday to Sunday: 44, 40, 47 and 9. One birdie Sunday.

The scatter charts are pretty wacky:

Comments

[Ivan Morris]

Hole too long and cup cut too close to the back - INMO. Shortening it by 30-yards would solve the problem.

[Allen Robertson]

I am happy the Jack probably does not care.

[Hawkeye]

Maybe I've developed "old man's memory" now that I'm past 40, but I cannot help my impression that players were better at distance control with their numbered irons back in the 80's and 90's. It's not just that greens were generally more receptive back then, the Muirfield Village greens were pretty darn firm at the ´87 Ryder Cup, too. Is it just me?

[Easingwold]

Hawkeye, I hear you. To me, they were better shotmakers, they had to be with the old equipment. Today they don't need to be as much, it seems, hitting short irons in. They don't seem to be as good at taking off spin either. Playing by the numbers more, etc.

[Middle West Pro]

The old 16th was a far superior hole, and it wasn't that great!

[BrianS]

Re: 1987 vs today. GIR stats:


First Place on Tour: 2017: 72.5% - 1987: 73.3%
20th Place on Tour: 2017: 69.4% 1987:69.7%
50th Place on Tour: 2017" 67.5% 1987:67.76%

I guess 87 was a bit better, but it seems fairly level to me. And that with greens playing a bunch faster.

[Zimmer]

I think this place should be renamed Muirhead Village.

[Press Agent]

This is a non-issue. So what? it's a pretty tough hole, especially tough on Sunday. Poor tour pros, not playing for enough money? holes too hard?

[munihack]

I think Jason Day said in his presser the hole always seems to play shorter than the yardage. To me the back left pins are sucker pins because you can't miss long or short. I noticed only a few played to the middle which is a safer ,shorter yardage. But today's pros just fire at pins and hope their short games will save them.

[Jupiter]

I guess I must be missing the point here. It seems simple to me... go for the middle of the green or hit a better shot if you're going to go for the flagstick.

[Matt H.]

I don't have a problem with it either. Greens were pretty firm on Sunday, it was tough. A draw off the bunker looks like the play. Was that left bank shaved or did all those balls fly in the water?

[JJBeck]

The course played much more interesting than the usual PGA Tour fare. The bomb and gougers got their arses handed to them. Much more interesting golf to watch. I thought the 16th played great. They were hitting 6 irons for crying out loud. If you can't hit a high 6 iron with some spin , it costs . Kuchar hit a 5 iron and went over . He loves the course. Should have hit a high 6 iron. Wish I could hit a high 6 iron that far , but they are the best ......so.

[Lynn S.]

Agree with many above. With the previous days of having 40 or more hit the green, why not go farther right, two putt from 40 feet and "walk quietly to the 17th tee." Not sure where it says one is entitled to go at every flag. I have to do it all the time, why not them? In watching yesterday I noticed some frustrating players landing on the green and the balls bounce off, but then started to notice some thinking players work the ball a bit and it become very enjoyable golf to watch. They had to be precise. Also agree that Jack isn't bothered a bit by it all.

[Confused]

I think some of the equipment today (irons) is more prone to varying distance, even with the same swing move applied. I read it somewheres ... can't remember now,

[Jupiter]

@Confused... the rest of us just read it on here if that helps any. Always looking out for you.

[Matt]

These comments are ridiculous. You think a bunch of PGA Tour pro's and their caddies can't figure out the best way to play a golf hole? Clearly, it was extremely difficult to hit it on the green. The question is whether we think that's okay or goofy.

[meefer]

@Hawkeye, "Maybe I've developed "old man's memory" now that I'm past 40...". You'e got difficult days ahead, young fella ;-)

I don't really see the issue with the hole other than wind causing problems.