Par 3 Third Hole at Merion for Walker Cup - A Potential Beast in the Making

[Jim Thornton]

For the Saturday morning foursomes matches, the par 3 third hole at Merion played at 219 yards.

In the afternoon singles matches, the tee for the the par 3 third hole was moved back to the same tee area used for the par 4 sixth hole.  They actually had two sets of tees side by side on the same tee box - one for the 3rd hole and one for the 6th hole...there were hole numbers spray painted on the ground to distinquish between the two sets of tees....they were literally side by side.

The yardage for the hole in the afternoon changed from 219 yards to 274 yards (252 front edge, 274 hole).  It was very funny watching the players/caddies expressions as they exited the 2nd green and walked to the normal tee box for the 3rd hole - to a man, they all walked towards the usual tee box only to find no tee markers.  They then looked back to the left and saw the tee markers on the 6th hole tee box.  They were all laughing and shaking their heads as they walked back another 50 yards.  I was standing right next to the tee, and the players and caddies were scrambling to calculate yardages from the new tee...I don't think they saw that one coming.

I watched 5 groups (10 players) tee off, and 7 players hit 3 wood, and 3 players hit DRIVER. 6 of 10 hit the green.  No birdies.

I suppose the USGA is testing out the idea of playing the 3rd from this distance, although I can't imagine how they would handle the logistics of having two sets of tees on the same teeing area.

[Jim Thornton]

P.S.  I guess it goes without saying, but that 3rd green looks awfully small from 274 yards away.

[Ronald Montesano]

Didn't they tell them?  I saw the release for press that discussed that hole but, as I had not been on the front nine for the morning, did not know it was a par three.  Thought it was a par four being played as risk/reward, like #10.

[Matt_Ward]

Jim:

I like the idea -- provided there is balancing later in the round -- with the 17th playing to a more forward position.

The 3rd is one tough hombre and I think it often gets lost in the shuffle when the other par-3 holes are mentioned.

Having it play much longer for at least one day at the 2013 US Open would be interesting to watch.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Matt

"I suppose the USGA is testing out the idea of playing the 3rd from this distance, although I can't imagine how they would handle the logistics of having two sets of tees on the same teeing area."

Definitely.I was present when Joe Logan was talking with Mike Davis about this. Davis said that the teeing area will be expanded. That's the solution. Apparently, Oakmont has a similar double teeing area.

Davis also said that the 3rd green is one of the largest greens at Merion and it can handle a long shot.

[Adam_Messix]

The 17th Tee was moved up for the Saturday singles, it played at something like 207 yards.

[Jim Nugent]

Is #3 the Redan?

[ed_getka]

Is #3 the Redan?

Jim,
   It is not a redan. It is one really amazing green complex though.

[Anthony Gray]

  I love the idea of variity within a tournament is refreshing to me. I love the idea of changeing the tee boxes frm day to day

  Forrest

[ChipOat]

Does it bother anybody that neither Charles Macdonald, H.J. Whigam, Hugh Wilson, William Flynn or P.J. Boatwright ever intended the hole to be played that way?

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

Seriously, Tom Fazio was there on Friday (and may still be) and I'm told he's already made some recommendations re: 2013.  Maybe it was his idea.

[ed_getka]

When possible I would prefer that the golfer have to hit the same club they would have been hitting when the course opened. I doubt they were hitting driver when the course opened. Not to mention that that green has plenty of internal defenses. I would only think you would need the extreme length for the Open if it rained a lot and some of the green's defenses were negated.