It's like Clockwork

[Peter Pallotta]

Have a Tour stop at a classic course of modest length (by today's standard) -- in this case Donald Ross' Detroit, and

Watch the leaderboard suddenly being populated by *both* the longer hitters and some of the shortest hitters on tour -- in this case, the likes of Charles Howell and Jason Kokrak (at 324 and 350 yards off the tee) and of
Brian Stuard (273 yards) and Luke Donald.

Better golf courses = better golf.

[Kalen Braley]

Peter,

Excellent point and something i tried to communicate to Nick and others during the BPB fights.

The best tests of "championship" golf IMO...are the ones that keep the most amount of players in contention, with the most varied sets of skills, right until the last day.

Brooks was of course right about BPB, he knew most players were dead meat before they even hit their first shot, but I don't consider that a good thing and definitely not for a Major.

[Peter Flory]

There are 125 guys on tour averaging over 290 off the tee (and most aren't exactly maxing out).  They are pretty much all long, except for a few short game and precision geniuses. 

[Jim Nugent]

I don't know, Peter.  Just about everyone on the first page of the leaderboard is bombing the ball 300+ yards this week.  Cameron Champ, at the top as I write this, just played the front nine in 28.  8 under.  He hit wedges or less into every par 4, and maybe even one of the par 5s (179 yards), which he eagled.  His tee shots are averaging 326 today so far. 

Luke Donald, btw, hit a number of drives in his first round over 300 yards, and averaged 295.  While not long by tour standards, that means he hits short irons or even wedges into almost all par 4s on the course.   

It's also worth noting that in the 2017 U.S. Open, Erin Hills played to over 7800 yards twice.  Yet fighting for the win, tied for 1st with 8 holes to go, was shortish-hitting Bryan Harman, who finished T2.   

[Peter Pallotta]

I hear you, Jim, and 'statistically' you may be right. But to me it just 'feels' different. The more modest overall length, but also the 'architecture' of a classic course and the ways that total length is parsed out hole by hole with such variety (and a variety of tests & opportunities). Today, yes, long hitting Champ shot 7 under; but notoriously short hitting Colt Knost (272 yards) shot 4 under. There's a way, day after day, for differing players to get it done.

[Peter Flory]

Champ is 7 under so far in the tourney in 8 par 5s played. 

Today, here is what he did on the par 5s on the front:
4th hole: drove it 367.  Hit the green in 2 from 266.  2 putted for birdie.  Yes- he covered 630+ yards in 2 shots and with accuracy.
7th hole: drove it 364 and had 178 yards left.  From there, he hit is to 6 ft and tapped in for eagle. 

That shows how far a guy like him really hits it when he's not scaling back.  Yesterday, he hit it 362 on the 4th hole. 

[Matt_Cohn]

The best tests of "championship" golf IMO...are the ones that keep the most amount of players in contention, with the most varied sets of skills, right until the last day.

Shouldn't the best tests of championship golf be the ones that create the most separation, not the least, between the contenders?

[Peter Pallotta]

Interesting question, Matt.
Maybe you're right.
But then again, a heck of lot of back 9s on Masters' Sundays would've been a lot less compelling than they were.
P

[Kalen Braley]

Matt,

I think the pressure already causes separation, 5 inches of gnarly rough is just penal overkill...

But like Peter says, the best ones are when players with varying skill sets and specialties are all competing coming down the stretch, not just the ones who hit it super long (by PGA Tour standards) and has the strength to hit it out of rough. And i don't think its coincidence that ANGC achieves this the best yet has the friendliest rough of probably any event all year...

[Ronald Montesano]

One appreciated comment by the talking heads was, if only the greens were firm from Thursday on. DGC with firm greens would have forced even greater creativity and strategy. Lots of good points here. I don't know that any one is discernibly better than the others. Perhaps that's part of the mystery life (also a four-letter word) tosses at us.