Posted on 09/28/2002 7:18:36 AM PDT by copycat
The tenth hole at the Belfry in England, where the postponed 2001 Ryder Cup matches are being played this weekend, is a short yard par four. It consists of a short fairway, with a green tucked at the end in a grove of tree, to the right, over a creek. The hole plays from 240-280 yards, depending on the tee used.
The hole has been a crowd pleaser in the past, due to the fact the professional golfers can reach the hole in one shot...a driveable par four with a long iron, but the shot must be near perfect to avoid the creek and the tress, and hold the 27 yard wide green.
Therefore, with the major hazards abounding, the hole has the possibility of playing anywhere from a 2 to a 6. Not to mention the excitement of the fans as the ball is aloft, and element of chance that can change the fortunes of the entire tourney witha single swing.
This year, European Ryder Cup Captain Sam Torrence has announced that they will play the back tees every day, tees with a prohibitive angle to the green, forcing anyone who wishes to go for it to use a driver. Even Tiger Woods, America's bniggest hitter, says he will lay up everyday.
This will revmove a lot of fun, excitement, chance, and entertainment value from the weekend event.
Captain Torrence states that his reasoning is that the hole is a par Four, and for it to be driveable with a long iron is not the way it was designed...that new equipment has changed the nature of the hole.
In a stroke play event, this may be true, BUT THE RYDER CUP IS MATCH PLAY. (You against your opponent , hole by hole.) Each player only plays his opponent. It doesn't matter if you bogey, if your opponent doubles, you win.
Therefore, the number of strokes the hole plays in is immaterial, since both players play the same tee. 3 or 4 strokes, it matters not.
IMHO, Captain Torrence's publicly stated reason for the decision to play the back tees is not the actual reason, and I suspect that somewhere, he has a set of statistics showing that the Americans historically have had a real advantage at this driveable Par Four.
However, sometimes the lay up can be a tough shot, especially if the mind is still trying to tell you to go for it in mid-swing.
IMHO...the courses that the Euro's normally play place more of an emphasis on short game acumen.
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