drivers "Missing in Action" at the Open?!?!

[PThomas]

thought provoking article by Geoff S in this week's Golf World about whether the US Open courses take the drivers out of the hands too often...agree?

I do think that a good number of  holes should require accurate DRIVERS...which is why I esp am concerned about Merion next year

[Bill_McBride]

Paul, they are all able to hit driver any time they choose!   How many more majors would Phil have won if he had left the driver in the bag?   Course management is important.   

[PThomas]

Paul, they are all able to hit driver any time they choose!   How many more majors would Phil have won if he had left the driver in the bag?   Course management is important.   

Bill, I am worried about holes being so short that there is absolutely no need to hit drivers most of the time.......

but Phil surely should have hit a 3w on at least 1 hole at WF!

[PCCraig]

Who says you have to hit a driver a certain amount of times during a round?

I think most golfers, golf fans, and the media need to get over their obsession with the driver. I'd rather watch a professional golfer play a Merion or Olympic with an iron in their hand at least thinking about where to place the ball versus watching them whale on a driver with no thought or regard to strategy.

[jeffwarne]

I hope someone wins without touching a wood or hybrid at Merion or Olympic.
Then maybe the USGA can conduct a few tests to see if the ball goes farther than it did 20 years ago

[Matthew Petersen]

I hope someone wins without touching a wood or hybrid at Merion or Olympic.
Then maybe the USGA can conduct a few tests to see if the ball goes farther than it did 20 years ago

Tiger's strategy at Liverpool (only hit one driver and not many 3-woods) was widely praised at the time. But no one brought up any concerns about the length of the ball after that.

[JC Jones]

This is only an issue because of our irrational need to "protect par" one week per year and for most of these courses, one week per generation.

Who gives a damn what the best players in the world shoot?  The courses should be set up by and for the members.

[Bill Brightly]

I played Merion last week for the first time in 15 years. I was shocked by the narrowness of the fairways. The "look" from the tee to the landing area is almost surreal, and the new rough is brutal to hit from. They definitely have taken the driver out of the pros' hands. I think this is absolutely appropriate to determine the best pro over 4 days, but I can't imagine the members playing the course this way after the Open is over.

[Dan King]

There is a very simple answer to this issue: Style points. If you make a par on a par-4, but went 3-wood, 8-iron, putt, putt, then you get no style points and your score is a four. If you made the same four on a hole, but went pitching wedge, driver, chip, tap-in with the back of a 3-wood, you could end up subtracting three style points, meaning you made a hole-in-one.

Tiger made a great chip-in at the Memorial. The U.S. judge gave him three style points, but the Romanian judge was less than impressed, said he's made the same shot numerous times, and Tiger shouldn't get any style points.

If the USGA wants to get players to use driver off the tee, just give the player style points that get subtracted from their score. Wouldn't it be great to see players trying to hit drivers off of a hole like No. 8 at Pebble?  Add in the shot clock, and it could make golf on TV fun to watch.

Cheers,
Dan King

I can't exactly describe it, but as I looked at the putt, the hole looked as big as a wash tub, I suddenly became convinced I couldn't miss. All I tried to do was keep the sensation by not questioning it.
 --Jack Fleck (on the final round of the 1955 U.S. Open at Olympic club, where he tied Ben Hogan, and went on to beat him in the playoff the next day)

[Sam Morrow]

If they just hit the driver straighter they can still hit it. One thing I've seen with modern equipment is that the driver is the easiest club to hit straight. It's still the hardest to hit solidly though.

[Ed Brzezowski]

I played Merion last week for the first time in 15 years. I was shocked by the narrowness of the fairways. The "look" from the tee to the landing area is almost surreal, and the new rough is brutal to hit from. They definitely have taken the driver out of the pros' hands. I think this is absolutely appropriate to determine the best pro over 4 days, but I can't imagine the members playing the course this way after the Open is over.

How about that new bunker on two? Members caps must be on the rise.

[Link Walsh]

I hope someone wins without touching a wood or hybrid at Merion or Olympic.
Then maybe the USGA can conduct a few tests to see if the ball goes farther than it did 20 years ago

Tiger's strategy at Liverpool (only hit one driver and not many 3-woods) was widely praised at the time. But no one brought up any concerns about the length of the ball after that.

Liverpool was under a little different set of circumstances, don't you think?  Do you remember how brown everything was that week?  They had a major drought going on.   There have been other Open Championships played under similar conditions.

[George Freeman]

Who needs driver when you can hit your 3-wood 305??