Phil,
I appreciate the honest answers!
The answer to the question, at least for me, and maybe Lynn or Michael Robin can chime in is the cant or slant of the green falling away left and the crown that goes with it. It's just a very strong defense that has you thinking negative thoughts when you walk away from it with a par. You feel like you either blew it or were ripped-off. That's what this kind of a hole does to you, this short thing that looks so defenseless. It's like Jim Murray once accurately described it, “This is a shameless little harlot that just sits at the end of the bar in mesh stockings and a mini-skirt just waiting for you.".... (as quoted by Nick Faldo)
Or for that matter....
Q. Charles, during the ride past on the playoff on the tenth hole, Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo were talking about world ten what's the history with that whole number?
CHARLES HOWELL III: We've had a love/hate relationship, I think it's one of the greatest par4's that we play and it was different this year, and I think you saw more guys go at that green off the tee because the green was so hard. In the years passed here, that green has been so soft with all of the rain you can lay the ball up to the left and hit a wedge in there and hold it. I saw a lot of great wedge shots this week land on the green and end up in the bunker. With the greens being as firm as it was, around the green, as to why we don't have more, I don't know. Because that one there is every bit as nerve-racking and exciting as we need.
Q. Where are you trying to play it on 10 when you are playing?
CHARLES HOWELL III: Anything. Anything at this front edge of the green or just left of it and pinhigh. So the reason that hole is so good is that the golf ball is going so far now that a driver actually gets past that and you end up chipping back this way. So Phil hit a 3wood, I hit 3wood, we've got to hit those 3woods pretty darn good to carry that last bunker to left. So it's really hard to get that ball pinhigh left. Like I said with that green firm, that front right bunker is no bargain.
So, I guess it comes to this, looking at it on TV, especially since it's a young hole--just a baby--so it probably needs to mature, but holes like the 4th need to be a part of GREAT Golf Architecture. I obviously disagree, even with Brad Klein to some extent that it did have some affect on the outcome. Regardless of just how good he is as a golfer, Tiger Woods is still a human with the same sort of emotions, mental lapses and quirks as all of us. I guess I'm a little more positive in thinking that he was not completely focusing on that shot that nipped the lip and came back down. Could this have been intimidation by the nasty looking bunker which is a style and look I favor? (with-in reason) Could it have been a lapse in judgement by the world's greatest golfer?
Three strokes is three strokes as far as I'm concerned, and I'm not even a numbers man!