Baltusrol == the Anti-Augusta

[johnk]

The set up at Baltusrol makes for a boring round for the viewer.

The sequence of holes makes it an Anti-Augusta, since it minimizes the excitement from charges and leaderboard changes.

Does anyone else feel that without par 5s to provide guaranteed birdie opps, there is less anticipation and leaderboard watching.  Everyone just slogs it through the long par 4s and 3s, until the action starts at 17.

This is not a commentary on the quality of the holes or the strategy.  Simply the ordering of the holes, and lack of par 5s until the very end.

No par 5s for 16 straight holes makes watching the round a lot like watching an NBA game.  You can watch the last 2 holes, and you'll have seen everything important.

[noonan]

I agree......paint dying is more exciting........miss a fairway..........hack it out with a wedge.....yawn.

[John Kirk]

I respectfully disagree.  At this late juncture in the tournament, every shot by most of the players remaining on the course is so important.  This tournament has yielded a great field, a razor thin leaderboard, and great tension down the stretch.

Baltusrol did great.  Great finish...awwwwwwwww, we'll have to watch it on TIVO.

[Patrick_Mucci]

John Kirk,

I'm with you.

Please note the time that the first two posters posted.

A lot sure happened after 1:40 pm.

Perhaps they define excitement as ........ "water"
which is on 5 holes on the back nine at ANGC.

The leaderboard changes have been great.
A clear see-saw battle.

[johnk]

I'm not talking specifically about how the course did, or whether it was a good championship.  I'm making an argument about the structure of the hole sequence and the par of each hole.

I'm saying that the lack of par 5s in the first 16 holes leads to less opportunity for one player to build momentum and make a charge, and leads to less perturbance in the leader board.

Isn't the "see-saw", "momentum" building type stuff more likely to occur when the par 5s are spread throughout the round? Since there are only 2 at Brol, maybe the affect is limited.

I'm pointing out one thing that makes Augusta so great - the  spacing of the par 5s automatically generates excitement.

Stacking them at the end is a bit like stacking your Ryder Cup team best players at the end, I think...

[johnk]

Besides, Pat Mucci, unless your initials are J.K., you are apparently not welcome on this post  

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

John I tend to agree with you. I found it without the shotmaking excitement I usually find at augusta or even the Open venues.

[Rick Wolffe]

I'm sorry that K&K feel the way they do and hope they did not waste their time watching any of today's coverage, but if they had to sit through it, they at least had a good and restful nap.

Thought some others would be interested in following from Phil's interview after his practice round on Tuesday, August 9, 2005

"I just walked off the golf course, and it's one of the best, fairest, toughest setups that I think we've had in years.  I understand now why this golf course gets so many major championships.  It's just a terrific test of golf.  And I'm really excited about the tournament getting started.

I played well today.  I had a good practice session, and I was able to come in here last week and kind of see the course, know what shots to hit, and I think that it's just a very hard, straightforward, fair test of golf.  I can't say enough good things about it."

Phil Mickelson
Top 5 Ranked Golf Professional