19th Hole
Jordan Spieth-Dustin Johnson duel deserved better choice of playoff hole, players say
![](https://www.golfwrx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/dustin-johnson-jordan-spieth-.jpg)
The Jordan Spieth-Dustin Johnson duel at The Northern Trust was very exciting. No doubt about it. The conclusion was a bit unfortunate, however, owing to the choice of playoff hole.
You can see the lines Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth took off the tee in this tweet from Ian Poulter.
Shame @Fedex playoff hole had to be on the worst hole of the golf course.. 18th hole suited 5 guys in the field. Congrats DJ unlucky Jordan pic.twitter.com/ms2WZrfq0X
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) August 27, 2017
Poulter calls the choice of hole a “shame,” and he’s right. Johnson learned his lesson from missing the fairway right in regulation and having to lay up. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again, and instead he unleashed a howitzer, cutting the corner on a line more aggressive than Poulter with the block button on Twitter.
Does anyone other than @DJohnsonPGA even consider this line off the 18th tee? #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/pgHJS1dFWV
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 27, 2017
DJ piped his drive 341 yards. Spieth hit an excellent, 300-yard-plus drive, but was unable to take the same line.
Look, there’s an element of “you should never put the game in the ref’s hands” here. Spieth didn’t play as well as Johnson Sunday, as evidenced by, you know, their scores. Spieth shot 69. DJ shot 66.
That said, the 18th hole does offer the biggest bombers a massive advantage if they can clear the water. And it’s not really “risk-reward,” because as long as DJ makes decent contact, he carries the water. Maybe he’s in the rough, but he’s still garnered said massive advantage for his second shot. You shouldn’t hit a drive 315 yards and find yourself facing a 180-plus yard approach while your opponent is looking at a baby wedge.
Proceeding from the standpoint that a poor golf course advantages only one type of player, you can certainly make the case (as pros did) that the 18th was a poor choice of playoff hole.
If you fly it 315 then you have a 100 yd wide fairway on 18…..
It's a shame that it ended because of a long drive contest in the playoff
— Wesley Bryan (@wesleybryangolf) August 27, 2017
And yes, Johnson still had to hit the wedge. Heck, he had to hit the booming drive under pressure. But the idea of playoff hole selection is generally to pick a fairly benign hole that affords a birdie opportunity. Right?
Looking at the course map, the teebox at No. 10 (a mid-level difficulty, 445-yard par 4) would have been an even shorter commute than the 18th tee. Of course, the fans were already in place at No. 18, so you’d assume that was the tournament organizers’ guiding factor in the decision.
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19th Hole
Scottie Scheffler makes case over major talking point in distance debate
![](https://www.golfwrx.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-17-at-12.10.39.png)
Prior to this week’s Open Championship, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler spoke about the “distance issue” in professional golf.
The reigning Masters champion gave the 8th hole at Royal Troon, called “Postage Stamp,” as an example as to how holes don’t need to be lengthened to be more difficult.
“No. 8 is a good little way to almost step back in time and control your ball a bit more.
“You don’t have to make a par-three 230 yards to make it a great hole. It can be 120 yards.
“I think holes like 12 at Augusta and 17 at Sawgrass, the best par-threes in the world are short par-threes. They’re not overly long par-threes.”
“It leaves a lot of opportunity for you to hit a shot.
“If I don’t hit the green on No. 8, it’s mostly likely going to be a bogey unless you’re in the front of the green.
“If you miss it in the right bunker or the left bunker — if you hit it in the left bunker, you’re going to be glad to be making a bogey because it’s probably going to plug, and you’ll be hitting up-and-down for your bogey.
“I think great little, short holes like that are fun.
“I think it’s an underrated skill for guys nowadays to be able to control your ball, and I think it’s something we need to encourage in our game, not just building golf courses longer and longer.
“You can make a short hole with a small green, and it’s pretty dang tough.”
One of the major obstacles of Royal Troon this week will be the bunkering. The fairway bunkers on the course are extremely penal and most will require a splash out into the fairway rather than a shot at the green.
“One of the things I liked that the R&A changed this year from last year was the bunkering,” he said.
“Last year I thought it was a bit silly how they flattened out each bunker.
“The bunkers are still a penalty enough when the ball isn’t up against the lip.
“It was a bit of luck whether or not your ball would bury into the face because you have a flat bunker and a wall that’s going to go right into it.”
“As long as you build a little bit of slope into it, you can allow guys the opportunity to get out of the bunker.
“If you’re on the greens, it allows for opportunity for guys to either take on the lip or play smart and play sideways.
“It leaves more opportunity for great shots and risk and reward around the greens and the fairways because you have an opportunity to hit a great shot or just play it safe and go out sideways.
“I love how they changed how they rake the bunkers this year with the more traditional sloping coming off the walls.”
Scheffler is set to begin his quest for a second major championship of 2024 on Thursday.
More from the 19th Hole
- Shane Lowry says this prevalent criticism surrounding Rory McIlroy ‘makes his blood boil’
- Brandel Chamblee on why he feels Rory’s game ‘deteriorates in the biggest moments‘
- Tiger Woods aims brutal dig at Colin Montgomerie
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19th Hole
Shane Lowry says this prevalent criticism surrounding Rory McIlroy makes his ‘blood boil’
![](https://www.golfwrx.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-17-at-12.20.49.png)
Rory McIlroy has been in the headlines since his Sunday collapse at last month’s U.S. Open. Analyst Smylie Kaufman and swing coach Hank Haney have wondered aloud if McIlroy should have hired a new caddie, while others wonder if he has the mental game to ever win another major championship.
This week, McIlroy’s friend and fellow Irishman, Shane Lowry, has come to the defense of the four-time major champion.
While speaking with BBC Sport NI, Lowry said the criticism makes his “blood boil”.
“It makes my blood boil, to be honest,”
“They don’t see how hard Harry works and how good he is for Rory.
“Just because he’s not standing in the middle of the tee box like other caddies who want to be seen and heard doesn’t mean that his voice isn’t heard by Rory.
“When you get to tournaments, he’s always there before Rory, he’s always walking the course. He works harder than any of the caddies out here.”
Lowry added that he still believes Rory will get another major.
“He’s the best caddie for Rory and I’ll argue that with anyone who wants to argue it with me,”
“It’s tough for him. Northern Ireland and Ireland is a small place. I’m sure it’s tough for Harry to go home and deal with all that but he’ll be alright.
“That’ll make the next one they get together all the sweeter.”
McIlroy will try to add to the tally once again this week at Royal Troon, where he finished T5 back in 2016.
More from the 19th Hole
- Bryson explains last minute driver head switch and says he “probably shouldn’t have changed;” despite U.S. Open win
- The stunning numbers behind the rise in Bryson’s popularity following U.S. Open win
- Tiger explains why golf has “negative connotations” for daughter Sam
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While you’re here, check out BK’s breakdown of Bobby Mac’s winning WITB.
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19th Hole
Brandel Chamblee on why he feels Rory’s game ‘deteriorates in the biggest moments’
![](https://www.golfwrx.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-16-at-16.14.57.png)
Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee has been a critic of Rory McIlroy when it comes to the Northern Irishman’s decade-long major championship drought.
After McIlroy came up short at the U.S. Open last month, Chamblee criticized his iron play.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love Rory’s golf swing, it’s beautiful. It’s beautiful. But he’s now finished in the top-ten in the last six U.S. Opens and he’s averaging in those six U.S. Opens – because I just looked here in strokes gained approach – about 30th. Guess what they do not do? Win U.S. Opens.
“The guys who win U.S. Opens finish first, second, third, fourth. Brooks Koepka in U.S. Opens – first, second, most greens and best iron shots, strokes gained approach.
“Rory consistently underperforms in his iron play – and that is the most important statistic.”
In the lead up to this week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon, Brandel is questioning McIlroy’s major championship preparation, after posing the question “Why does Rory’s game deteriorate in the biggest moments?”
Speaking at Royal Troon, Chamblee said
“When you look at what the best athletes do when they play to a higher level, they are being themselves.
“They are extraordinary athletes; they don’t have their minds cluttered up and, of course, their focus narrows the closer they get to the lead because of the confidence they get from that.
“So, it seems to me that Rory over time has enquired a lot from swing instructors or putting instructors or sports psychologists or deep dives from YouTube.
“With this generation, there is an epidemic of people doing deep dives on YouTube and getting cluttered up with curiosity.
“When I see Rory, it looks to me like he has either too many swing thoughts in his mind or he has too many voices in his head, it’s the only logical conclusion that I can draw.
“Why can one person be so obviously different getting into the lead or close to the lead and so obviously different when he has the lead.”
McIlroy will look to finally get over the line this week at Royal Troon, where he finished T5 back in 2016.
More from the 19th Hole
- Bryson explains last minute driver head switch and says he “probably shouldn’t have changed;” despite U.S. Open win
- The stunning numbers behind the rise in Bryson’s popularity following U.S. Open win
- Tiger explains why golf has “negative connotations” for daughter Sam
New here?
While you’re here, check out BK’s breakdown of Bobby Mac’s winning WITB.
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