18th at Hoylake Open

[Thomas Dai]

Serious question.


If you were an elite player, a player good enough to play maybe even win the 2023 Open at Hoylake, how would you from a course management perspective go about playing this hole to best achieve a 4 or a 5?

Taking into consideration the OB, the cop, the rough and the bunkers, even the grandstands, the available drop zones, walk-off areas etc. Ignore outside factors like the wind and the weather for just now.

1) in the 1st round
2) in the 2nd round if you are on the cut-line
3) in the 4th round if you are in close contention

For an 18th hole flyover see - [size=78%]https://www.theopen.com/video/3bbb14a3-ab2e-4864-8ac2-95bdfb6df131/0_jmocwq4h/Hole-18---Royal-Liverpool---Dun[/size]

And if you were an architect would you make any changes and if so what changes and why?

Atb



(photo by Links Nation)

[Tim Martin]

1st round take the right side out of play on drive and approach.
2nd round same if you need birdie. If you need eagle to make the cut I think you have to challenge the right side with the drive and approach.
4th round if you need par or birdie stay left the same as round one. Only challenge the right side if you need eagle to tie.


Obviously easier said than done.

[Tom_Doak]

I'm pretty surprised at how many prominent players have hit one o.b. there.


Is the wind from left to right this week and they just don't know how far enough left they need to go to be safe?

[Tim Martin]

I'm pretty surprised at how many prominent players have hit one o.b. there.


Is the wind from left to right this week and they just don't know how far enough left they need to go to be safe?

17 and 18 are providing plenty of drama not unlike the last two holes at the Scottish Open the week before.

[Thomas Dai]

With the aim of getting some traction on this thread it would seem given the evilness of the bunkers, the thickness of the near green rough plus modern spinny wedges and balls that the spot to play a 3rd shot from that is most likely to result in scoring a 4 or a 5 is circa 30+ yards short of the green preferably on the right hand side of the fairway, ie a slight lay-up avoiding left bunkers but giving a decent angle up the length of the green.
Perhaps because we’re only seeing part of the field play the hole and TV does have a tendency to concentrate on the best and worst but there would appear to have been some surprising course management choices on this hole.

Atb

[Rob Marshall]

The OB stakes inside the grandstands looks ridiculous and contrived.