Shinnecock Strategy?!

[TEPaul]

I'm sure a number of you who aren't in favor of the extreme fairway narrowness of US Open set-ups won't like to hear this but I just noticed a potential tournament course management idea from one of the game's most aggressive "go for broke" players---Phil Mickelson.

Apparently, Phil has a ton of old clubs in his garage and he must have been thinking about the upcoming US Open at Shinnecock and the Open fairway widths of around 25 yards or so. Phil found an old Ping 1 iron, got it out reshafted and regripped it and says he's probably going to go with it off most of Shinnecock's tees. Apparently he feels he can hit it real straight, real low (less than 30 ft in the air) and about 265-270yds.

Will we see Tiger Woods come into the Open at Shinnecock using his unusual "stinger" tee shot--the super low sawed off finish 2 iron or 3 wood? I was sort of sorry to not see the wind really blow at TOC in the 2000 British Open when Tiger blew away that field away. He apparently had his unusual "stinger" tee shot ready for constant use but never really needed it due to lack of wind.

I know few like to see these super narrow US Open fairways at Shinnecock but perhaps we'll be treated to some unusual old fashioned shot makiing from these sky-high aerial shot pros at the Shinnecock Open. I don't like narrow fairways at Shinnecock either but I would like to see some old fashioned strategic shot making from these 2004 touring pros!

How about you?

PS;

Phil Mickelson also said he never thought he'd see the day again when he'd actually be using a 1 iron!

[NAF]

Tom,

I was fortunate enough to play Shinny twice this past October and the best analogy I can give is that it looked like Muirfield did in the recent 2002 Open Championship.  The rough is so grown up and pinching that there is little in the way of strategy off the tee.  The driver is really out of the hands of the players and I think many balls will be lost-the rough was just dense as can be--my caddy lost 2 balls
that fell no more than 10 feet from him.  One of the days I played was after we had a flirtation with a Hurricane and the winds blew 40mph.  The course was near unplayable with fairways no wider than 28 yards (I walked them all off).  Strategy will dictate that these guys never hit driver just like Muirfield.  The course is also very green or was as I was told the super wants to keep it slow and not fast so as
to not have the course embarrassed.  NGLA was and is the exact opposite and balls bounce into the bunkers just like Bill and Matt know the course should play there!

What I wonder is this:

#1- Will anyone hit Driver at Shinny and get up close to the green.  I doubt it.
# 5- Geoff Childs and I played the new back tee, it is still very reachable in 2.  The old man's alley on the right side is irrelevant as an option and I wonder if the pros
can reach the tree on the left side of the fairway if they hit driver. I imagine they'll hit 3 wood tops on this hole.
#8- What will they tee off with here. 5 iron?
#10- They can't hit driver or risk going thru the fairway etc.

Just some of the holes I thought about.  The word I also heard is Ray Floyd said par could win this Open and he should know, he plays there regularly.  But will it be exciting with the setup or strategic?

[Joel_Stewart]

I don't think anyone can say because the conditions and especially the wind will dictate how to play the course.  With the added distance, I don't think Phil could reach a few of the par 4's with a 1 iron tee shot.  The 3rd hole is a perfect example.

[TEPaul]

Joel:

I don't know that Phil said he was never going to use his driver at Shinnecock, he just said he was going to use his 1 iron an awful lot---obvously most of the time but maybe he did mean all the time. And if he really can get it out there about 265-270 with his 1 iron as he says he can I doubt there're any par 4s he can't reach---even #3. Even into the wind a guy like Mickelson can probably get an iron to a green from 230-235.

But his strategy is pretty interesting really. If he thinks he can keep that 1 iron in the fairway a lot more than his driver it'll pay off for him anyway. Even if he can't get to some green surfaces as long as he keeps it in the short stuff with his short game he'll make out better anyway. He'll be a lot better off through the tournament somewhere around the green than he will if he has to take out his SW and chop it out after putting driver in the high rough---the way that Shinnecock rough is expected to be!

[Joel_Stewart]

Its going to be a game day decision depending on the wind.  He should have won in 1995, letting the 16th hole get to him a couple of times.  

I personally don't think the rough is going to be that bad.  Hopefully the USGA has learned a lesson or two on course setup after good setups at Pinehurst and Olympia Fields and a disaster at Bethpage.

[GeoffreyC]

Joel

The rough is going to be bad. Except for last year I play Westchester CC at the end of the week before the Buick Classic is held there.  Everyone says that is US Open type setup. A year before the actual Open, Shinnecock rough was already deeper, lusher and more difficult to play from. The course is literally too brutal for common folk to play using the rules of golf.