7th at Olympic, observation

[Steve Salmen]

The scoring average at #7 is around 3.83.  The hole has played 256 yds and 275 yds.  I have seen nearly every minute of the TV coverage and I've yet to see one player hit an iron off the tee. 

I can't help but think that the scoring average would be considerably lower if every player hit a 6,7 or 8 iron off the tee and a short wedge  to the green.  Anyone agree or disagree?

My reason is that I don't believe many players would miss the fairway.  I don't believe many players that hit the fairway would have putts much longer than 15 or 20 ft.

[Randy Thompson]

I think good course management is about when to attack and play aggressive by taking chances and when to back off and play conservative. Hitting a seven iron and a wedge is just too conservative in my opinion and a missed oportunity when most can reach with a three wood.

[Kevin_Reilly]

I was at the 7th today.  A handful of players hit irons off the tee.  One hit it in the rough.

[Paul Carey]

Dustin Johnson hit an iron....but he was trying to knock it on

[Phil McDade]

I'm not sure what the big deal is with hittng driver there. It's not really a risk-reward hole: 106 birdies, 3 eagles, compared to 43 bogeys and 9 doubles (and no "others" so far.) That's a 2:1 ratio of reward to risk. It's yielded 151 pars, so the ratio of pars to under-par scores is @ 3:2. Strikes me as simply a fairly easy par 4, with nominal risk, so I don't necessarily see the strategy employed so far as poor.

[Jonathan Mallard]

"That's one thing I learned from playing with Tom Kite. Always go for it if you can get there. Even if it is a stupid shot."

Davis Love III being interviewed in one of the silly season events back in the day.

[Jordan Caron]

Hitting an iron leaves the player with a uphill lie. If the lie was flat, I'm sure more players would hit iron.

The problem is the guys who are blowing driver way right. They're then stuck with an uphill shot to a narrow green from that angle.

[David_Tepper]

An interesting article, with comments from several players, about the 7th hole at Olympic:

http://www.usopen.com/en_US/news/articles/2012-06-15/201206151339801379722.html?promo=sitesearch

[Doug Siebert]

Can someone explain to me why this hole seems to play much longer than its listed distance?  I get that it is uphill, but it doesn't look all that steep, and no amount of steepness could explain the way it seems to be playing to me.  I see most guys hitting driver there and coming up short.  Are they just taking it easy with their swings because of its tightness, or because being long is even worse than it appears to be?

With the back pin yesterday it looked to me like it would be a good place to lay up and wedge in, unless you can hit a fade that bounces through the ~8 yard wide opening in front.  Being in those front bunkers leaves a tough shot - easier for a pro than for me, but then again a wedge from 70-100 yards would be easier for them than for me also.  With the front pin Thursday the decision to go for it was much easier, though I was still mystified by all the guys hitting driver and coming up short when it was playing only 256, especially when the same guys are hitting drives over 300 yards on the par 5s.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

If it was still a 3 tired green I would agree with you. The 2 tiered is just not as risky and allows for more to go for it, especially with pin on front.