Mickelson, Spieth Okay With Extending Augusta's 5th Hole
On news of plans filed to lengthen Augusta National's 5th hole, GolfChannel.com's Will Gray went to players with the premise and while Graeme McDowell could not get excited, former Masters champions Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth were largely positive about the concept.
“I’m a big fan of making the hard holes harder and the easy holes easier,” Mickelson said Sunday at the Genesis Open. “So making No. 5 harder, which is perennially a difficult par, or should be one of the harder par-4s out there, I’m a big fan of. What I’m not a fan of is taking a hole like 7 and making it the second-toughest par on the golf course. I think that’s a mistake. I think making 5 more difficult is not.”
Jordan Spieth believes the proposed changes would force driver into players’ hands on what he described as a “3-wood hole” given the pitch of the fairway, and added that firm and fast conditions could potentially push a longer fifth hole to the brink of playability.
“It would make an already very difficult hole even harder,” Spieth said.
Monday, February 19, 2018 at 08:01 PM
Reader Comments (8)
That's honestly an interesting comment.
Funny how many have an attitude in that neighborhood, but how
Much what those players are doing is driving the distance debate.
The <2% obviously rule the entire game now I guess
They're paid to play. That's all that really matters. Show up and shut up.
And all the expenses and costs related to the distance issue are because those same people hit it that far,
Despite the fact that virtually every course that has overreacted had literally no need to respond to the distance problem.
Riviera has been bastardized to respond to one week a year. Ok, that's too bad.
But numerous courses that don't even have that one week to defend, somehow see the need to lengthen, put new bunkers with liners in, rebuild greens etc. And they MAY have a handful of members who ar long (and good) enough to push their old course a bit.
I honestly understand rolling back distance overall to potentially reduce costs and time. I just find it amusing when a membership with a nice little course decides they need new tees and billy bunkers because tour pros a) hit it so far and worse b) the tournament course look like this!!
But it's those darn pros and new dangled equipment they use fault
Where I get concerned, though, is the fact that I hit the ball better, longer, and more consistant now after 2 hip surgeries and several other health issues, than I did 25 years ago when I was young and 'healthy'. I wish that the pros could be challenged by having to hit a 3- or 4-iron into a par 4, the way it used to be. I get that the teaching practices are better, the athletes are better, and the agronomics are better. I have no idea how the governing bodies can walk the tightrope between what the Pros are doing in comparison to whaat I see here every day...I play with a group of guys aged from the early 20s to 50s, all low single digits or plus handicaps. None of us want to lose our current equipment, but I think we understand it may happen.
I'd just like to see more risk in a 100% all out swing...a spinnier ball maybe?
Yardage by itself is not a pleasing defense. Neither is dumbing down the game. With existing yardages, many PGA Tour courses could be toughened considerably. For various reasons, there's resistance to that. Bombers will, as they always have, embarrass weak holes/setups.
No comments needed for the delusional revolving-door greens committees present at many membership clubs.