The fact that he grew up just off the 17th hole here and we’re still talking about it to this day over 100 years on. “That’s what’s so good about golf is the history and the tradition and these stories. “This course and the history of Francis Ouimet, 1913,” McIlroy said. On the back nine, the 373-yard 17th has played pivotal roles in the previous three Opens, including in the 1913 playoff when Ouimet birdied it in both the final round and again in the playoff while Vardon made a double bogey in the final round and both British pros made bogey in the playoff. If they come up short on their approach to the elevated green, the upslope to the green will cause balls to roll 40 yards back. The 557-yard, par-5 eighth typically plays downwind and is reachable in two for most players if they can find the fairway off the tee. You’re hitting up at sky, there’s no trees behind or anything.” If you lay too far back, you can’t even see the flag.
“Unless it’s blowing hard in, but the second shot if you lay up is completely blind. “I think you get it up there,” New Englander Keegan Bradley said of the approach he will take. The short fifth has four bunkers guarding the front of the green bisected by a neck about 10 yards wide. The chance to gain ground will be on the final five holes of the front nine. Not that you’re attacking, these greens still jump up and bite you.” “If you get through that, you’ve got some opportunities with some shorter clubs in your hand. Open at Olympia Fields and was part of the winning United States Ryder Cup team in the “Battle at Brookline” in 1999. “One, two, three, four is a brutal start,” said Jim Furyk, who won the 2003 U.S. The graduated rough is expected to be about 5½-to-6 inches deep around the greens, and the wiry fescue is thick for early in the season and can shut the clubhead down quickly and compound mistakes. Downhill putts will be especially problematic. Spinning it into greens becomes important because the greens at TCC slope from back to front - with the exception of the par-3 sixth - and will be lightning-fast. You’re going to lose control of your ball and not be able to spin it into the greens.” “There’s some rough, but if you just miss a fairway, you can certainly get it to the green. Open winner Rory McIlroy said earlier in the week. “It seems pretty playable off the tee,” 2011 U.S. The Country Club also presents opportunities to get a wedge or short iron in hand for the second shot as five of the par 4s are 450 yards or less, including the drivable fifth at just 310 yards. That means if players miss those fairways, it will be next to impossible to reach the green.
3, 4, 10, 13 and 15 – to contend with, and all are par 4s of at least 490 yards, with the exception of No. “I think it’s playing difficult, but fair. It’s in great condition, the setup is great,” said Kevin Na. The Australian ranked sixth in the world is making his seventh start at the Open and finished tied for fourth in his debut at Chambers Bay in 2015. Yeah, just a real typical old school course. Open venue I think I’ve been to,” Cameron Smith said earlier in the week. In its place is the very short par-3 11th, listed at 131 yards but playable at less than 100 yards, which has been inserted into the routing for the first time since The Country Club first hosted the event in 1913, when 20-year-old amateur Francis Ouimet defeated Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in an 18-hole playoff. A short par 4 was removed – the fourth hole from when the U.S. This will be the first time this routing has been used. Players have given largely positive reviews to the layout.