Furyk: "They pinched the fairways down. Everyone was playing from the same spots."

2013 PGA runner-up Jim Furyk unintentionally and innocently said something that I find to be an indictment of the Oak Hill setup which, as we know now, is merely in response to distances overwhelming architecture due to regulatory complacency of the USGA and R&A.

You get four pops a year; this golf course set up very well for my game.  I love the golf course.  I played pretty well the last time here.  I was excited to come in.  They pinched the fairways down.  Everyone was playing from the same spots.  It's set up very well for someone like Jason or I for our game.

Furyk and Dufner hit more fairways and deserved to separate themselves from the rest, but he's also admitting that the course negated an advantage someone might have for being able to use distance and accuracy to their advantage.

Again, that's not the fault of Oak Hill or even the PGA's Kerry Haigh who want to keep things sane.  This imbalance is the fault of the USGA and R&A for not protecting the role of skill and the meaning of architecture.

PGA On Stimpmeter Speeds: "We don't give out a number. To be honest we don't think that's necessarily good"

Fun stuff from today's PGA of America press conference where setup man Kerry Haigh worked very hard to avoid talking about specific green speeds. For a good reason.

Q. About the green speeds, are they about where you want them now, and is your philosophy to try to keep them in place throughout the championship, or to allow them to kind of naturally progress speed wise?

KERRY HAIGH: We are very happy that we are at championship speed today, pretty much all week, and very happy with them. Depending on the weather, there is a chance of rain this afternoon, so obviously we have to modify whatever our process is based on Mother Nature, which we always do. But no, I'm very happy with the greens.

The conditioning of this course is just unbelievable, and I could not be happier with it.

And then he came clean, to the delight of superintendents and professionals across the land:

Q. I want to know some numbers about green speed in the few days on this weekend, and can you talk about the big difference compared with the other three Majors, the course setups, the biggest difference?

KERRY HAIGH: The first question, I'm not sure  the green speed?

Q. Can you tell some numbers of the green speed?

KERRY HAIGH: Championship speed. (Laughter).

Q. Can you tell me anything that you think it could be?

KERRY HAIGH: It's a speed that's appropriate to the greens that we feel is right. We don't give out a number. To be honest we don't think that's necessarily good for the overall country clubs out there; I don't. I think everyone hears a number and then everyone starts saying, well, we need it at this number. I think all clubs should set at a green speed that is appropriate for their play and the quality of their members and the slope of those greens. Throwing out numbers, I'm just not comfortable; so it's a green speed that is appropriate for a championship and the best players in the world.

Oak Hill Roundup: Perfect Fairways, Thick Rough & That 15th

Joe Passov files a spot-on assessment of Oak Hill's architecture (thanks reader Patrick). I can wholeheartedly endorse his views after having walked most of the East course today. The number of different design styles and the complete lack of any attempt by the chiselers who've carved away at Donald Ross' original should be studied by aspiring architects to better understand how not to practice the profession.

It's a pity, as this is a fantastic club with the best conditioned fairways I've ever seen. Many players have offered a similar endorsement of the conditions. Unlike Merion's sustainable, anti-roll 1/2 inch fairways, these are like carpet, allowing the ball to run.Tip of the cap to Oak Hill grounds manager Jeff Corcoran for a job well done in a tough growing season.

Back to the architecture.

I have to disagree with one thing Passov wrote:

Still, it was the major surgery undertaken by George and Tom Fazio in 1976 that alienated pros and critics alike. They eliminated the well-regarded 5th and 6th holes to help with gallery flow. Bunker styles changed, as did green contours. The Fazios also created a new green at the par-3 15th, with an attractive pond positioned front-right. Later, a stone wall was built to edge the lake. The good news? The 15th is now a more beautiful hole. The bad news? It doesn't resemble a Donald Ross original.

I would propose in lieu of the PGA of America's pin placement selection poll that a dynamite placement contest be held to determine how best to detonate the 15th.

After coming off the beautiful, uphill and distinctly Rossian looking par-14th, this disaster awaits. And to think the green contours have been softened!

Not only is the 15th so horribly out of character with this understated, rolling property, but everything about the feature-set is dreadfully forced. And with the rough as thick as it is this year, we may see someone just miss the green and be faced with a lie that causes them to hit a ball into the pond. Silly stuff.

The beautiful 14th with Oak Hill's half-and-half fairway cut (Clck to enlarge)In the remarks of Tiger Woods Tuesday, he made an interesting point about the half-and-half fairway cut employed here while also adding a new word to the Woods lexicon "sections."

It's playing quick. These fairways, especially on the left side, they obviously cut it downgrain on the left side so you can get a lot of chase to it. Some of the holes, you run out of room quick. It's playing, even though it's a little bit longer than what it was in '03, it might be playing a little bit shorter because it is drier. The balls are really running out there.

How I'm going to attack is I I'm just going to play to my little sections and go from there. I just think that depends on wind and some of the holes, how far I decide to go down on some of these fairways. Obviously sometimes I may lay back with a 5 wood or 3 wood on some of these tees.

Woods also said he will be hitting between 2-5 drivers depending on how much things firm up.

13th hole graduated rough that will collect plenty of balls because of the fairway tilt (click to enlarge)Phil Mickelson told the assembled scribblers that the vulnerability of the course will come down to the greens and how much faster they get, if they speed up.

Comparing this year to 2003:

I feel like the graduated rough was cut in places that did not overly penalize shots that were well struck but just missed its target.  I feel like if you play well, you can score lower than maybe '03.  But if you hit wayward shots, I feel like the rough is a little bit thicker, and taller, longer, making it harder to salvage pars.

So all in all, I thought it was a great test.  I'm curious to see how quick the greens will be, because they are a lot quicker today than they were when I was here a week ago, and the challenge of this golf course is the severity of the back to front pitch of most of the greens.  That to me is one of the biggest challenges that Oak Hill provides, because if you do miss it long, getting that chip shot to stop close, especially out of difficult rough where it's hard to control the ball chipping, that's the big challenge.  It forces you to want to leave every shot underneath the hole so you can get up and down.

If the greens stay under 12, under 11 and 1/2, 12, you can get the ball close to the hole.  You can get the ball from behind the greens close.  So I think the biggest X factor or unknown is just how quick the greens are rolling.

The one point where I would question Mickelson's assessment is with the graduated rough. Every time I saw a wider swath of the mid-length stuff it gave the impression of a mistake, as if the areas really should have been fairway but it was too late to cut the grass to fairway height and this was the compromise made.

As for the man doing the setup, the normally reserved Kerry Haigh kindly took Morning Drive's Gary Williams through the holes in some exclusive looks at the Oak Hill setup. You can view them here:.

Video: Nobilo Explains Oak Hill's Graduated Rough

I'll get a firsthand look Tuesday but based on some of the Tweeted photographs and looking at Frank Nobilo's analysis of the rough and select holes I feel like we're in for a repeat of the high rough, uber-plodding golf we saw the last time the PGA was at Oak Hill.

Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Be Excited About The Demise Of "Glory's Last Shot"...

The Forecaddie this week says Tim Finchem also deserves credit for the demise of the PGA of America's silly "Glory's Last Shot" slogan. However, Finchem's reasoning had to do with the FedExCup glory looming after the PGA, not the sheer silliness.

Everyone on three...one, two, three: OY VEY!

Anyway while I was vacationing I see the PGA Of America confirmed they are getting rid of Glory's Last Shot and ushering in a fan contest to select a Sunday 15th hole location at Oak Hill.

Yes, it will be from one of four Kerry Haigh-determined hole locations but this still seems like something the other majors would never think of doing (even though Jack Nicklaus' endorsement helps soften the blow). Maybe I'd feel more excited if there were going to be fifteen PSA's and 435 commercial breaks during the perenially unwatchable PGA Championship telecast.

The Reuters story, and the PGA of America press release.

For Immediate Release:

A collaborative learning experience between The PGA of America and record-tying, five-time PGA Champion Jack Nicklaus, the "PGA Championship Pick the Hole Location Challenge" is designed to educate fans on how course setup impacts a golfer's strategy in playing a hole; attract more people to the game; and help explain what hole location information players are provided each day.

As a result, Haigh has identified and selected each of these four distinct Championship hole locations for fans to vote. On August 11, during Sunday's final round coverage on TNT and CBS, fans will be able to see the winning hole position that will be used on the 15th green.

You can vote here.

Muirfield Already On Edge, Players Predicting Afternoon Chaos

I've just returned from Muirfield where light breezes, sunshine and dicey hole locations mean...trouble.

As you've probably seen on television, several hole locations are on knobs or steep slopes, with players citing the 8th and 18th as major trouble spots while the grass continues to lose moisture and take on the look of marble.

Martin Kaymer called the greens "fiery" before saying, "We'll see what the scores are this afternoon."

Phil Mickelson after the round was even more blunt, noting that "playing early gave us at least a fighting chance."

He explained the hurdle afternoon players face.

"The greens are dying, and the holes are on edges of slopes that the ball just simply won't stay. You drop it, it won't stay by the hole."

Besides the ridiculous 18th hole location, Mickelson said the eighth warrants attention.

"No. 8 is probably the worst one that you'll see if you watch it on TV. It won't stop until it collects in a little level area about eight feet away, six, eight feet away.

"But we got [to] let go of our ego sometimes and just set the course up the way the best players can win."

That comment was directed at the R&A and he clarified:

"Well, hopefully they'll, like I said, let go of their ego and set it up reasonable, but you just never know."

Stewart Cink saw the same issue. "I couldn't believe how fast they were toward the end of the day," he said. "I three-putted on 14, I had about a 35, 40-foot putt and I hit it 15 feet past. And everything on the back nine was just racing past the hole. So in the afternoon I don't think they're going to get any slower.

Ian Poulter took to Twitter to back up Mickelson's remarks:

Unfortunately the guys this afternoon will struggle with a few pin positions. 8th hole is a joke, 18th needs a windmill & clown face.

— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) July 18, 2013

Update on Thursday, July 18, 2013 at 09:53 AM by Geoff

**An extensive reply from the R&A's Peter Dawson, quoted by SkySports.com. He admits the setup was driven by the fact the course is playing short. But they don't care about scoring!

"We have the conditions here we really like to have, hard, fast, running conditions and we've set up the course to test the players' course management strategy as much as anything.

"It is part of the links course's defences in this type of weather, the course is playing very short.

"We are obviously very conscious of player comment and we will take it into account when we decide our greenkeeping strategy, just how we are going to set the course up for Friday.

2013 U.S. Open Course Set-Up Reviews In And They Are Not Exactly Glowing

I would call my Golf World review of the USGA's course setup at Merion "mixed" with a lean toward positive because the emphasis on difficulty let the Merion membership feel good about hosting the U.S. Open.  In other words, there was a political element to this year's setup and Mike Davis addressed that.

However, in the details I certainly make clear there were some elements that were just not very good and contradictory of the USGA's desire to show off Merion's supreme architecture. In particular, was lack of width and the setup of the third hole Sunday, something Phil Mickelson, errr...lamented.

Anyway, check out my story in Golf World this week.

I have a few stats in my story, but Jim McCabe also breaks down Merion "by the numbers" and has some fun stuff to share at Golfweek.com

Tod Leonard wasn't so forgiving and says Mike Davis "botched" the setup.

There is making the course hard, and there’s making it fair, and Davis — who hasn’t erred much during his reign — made a mistake with this one. The final round was drudgery, not good or interesting golf. The USGA is trying to grow the game. Would anybody want to go out and take up golf after watching that?

Rex Hoggard talked to players at the Travelers and concludes that the USGA did not do a good job showing off Merion at its best.

“I met a guy in the airport on Saturday when I was flying home, he was 91 (years old),” Glover said. “He had been to every Open since 1950 at Merion. I asked how fast the greens were in ’81, he said, ‘10 (on the Stimpmeter).’ I said how long was the rough, ‘3 inches.’ I asked if that was the same golf course and he said, ‘Absolutely not,’ . . . he said it was atrocious.”

Lost in last week’s reintroduction of Merion after a 32-year hiatus from the U.S. Open rotation was the fact that this was not the same course where Bobby Jones completed the Grand Slam in 1930 by winning the U.S. Amateur or where Ben Hogan made emotional history at the 1950 U.S. Open.

Davis, the USGA executive director who took over for Tom Meeks as the Open’s top setup man in 2004, has proven himself adept at setting up fair, but difficult golf courses. This time, however, he may have blazed through a few stop signs on his way to Sunday’s trophy presentation.

Of the 500 or so votes cast in the poll here, it's clear the setup was seen as a way to mask distance gains and that very few saw the week as a resounding win for the pro-do-nothing-about-distance set.

Ogilvy Loved Merion But...Too Narrow, Too Much Chip Out Rough

Post Merion 2013 observations from Geoff Ogilvy.

From this week's Golf World:

My one criticism of the course setup would be that the fairways were too narrow. Merion is a great course with many great holes, but it was sometimes hard to tell with so much rough everywhere. It was tough to picture how it sets up and plays for the members.

I know that -- apart from next year at Pinehurst -- calling for more width in the U.S. Open is a forlorn hope. I have a suggestion though. I would like to see dry, "flier" rough rather than the "chip-out" long grass we had at Merion. Maybe the wet weather precluded doing anything about the thickness of the rough, but it would have been nice to see guys attempting risky recovery shots (perhaps the most exciting aspect of professional golf) rather than hacking out 50 yards or so up the fairway. Anyone and everyone can do that.

He goes on to explain why local knowledge was a good thing and how Merion provided good "awkwardness" especially had there been some room to get suckered into bad plays.

Zach: “I would describe the whole golf course as manipulated."

Harsh words from Zach Johnson about the USGA setup of Merion through two rounds.

Randall Mell reports:

“It just enhances my disdain for the USGA and how it manipulates golf courses,” Johnson said.

And he also mentioned the element of luck, which amazingly was not even as prevalent as it might have been had the fairways been running fast.

“Not when luck is required,” Johnson said. “I think Merion is a great golf course, if you let Merion be, but that is not the agenda.”

Johnny: U.S. Open Has Become "More Like A PGA Tour Event"

Doug Ferguson's AP notes includes this from Johnny Miller, who misses the old U.S. Open of high rough, chipping out and uh, more rough. He should get his wish at Merion.

''I think it lost its identity, personally,'' Miller said. ''I don't agree with that one bit. To me, the U.S. Open is supposed to be the ultimate test. ... I just thought like at Torrey (Pines), they set it up like an old Andy Williams with distance. Not that it wasn't a good Open - it was a great Open. But I like the rough, personally.''

The Real Slow Play Culprit: "The (unnecessary) need for speed"

My column in the new Golf World on the costly pursuit of faster greens and how they are slowing up the sport and maybe even causing too many folks to jam a putter grip into their tummies.

The column is a part of Golf World's annual Architecture Issue, which also includes a nice spread on super-short one shotters by Ron Whitten and a profile of Mike Keiser by Jeff Silverman. Not to mention a killer Tiger photo by JD Cuban and a host of other goodies.

Van Sickle On Doral's Setup Shift

I always enjoy a healthy Gary Van Sickle venting and I'm glad he spoke up on the difference between Doral the first three days and Sunday's killjoy setup.

Thanks to reader Chicago John for passing this along:

More important, the greens got firm as bricks and the pins were tucked in nasty places. In other words, everything that made the first three rounds so dramatic and exciting and the leaderboard so star-studded went out the window. Three days of birdie-fest morphed into a small U.S. Open for the final round. Birdies were hard to come by. The leaders played a war of attrition. Tiger showed off his short game and made a lot of pars.
 
Interesting, yes. Thrilling, no.