Highlights that Highlight the Architecture: 2022 Open at TOC

[Jason Thurman]

I do not see an obsolete golf course this week. Regardless of the scores, I see architecture at work and creating separation.


A little while ago, Morikawa (possibly the best iron player in the game right now) was setting up for his approach to 17 after a drive down the left edge of the fairway. One of the commentators called it "perfect position" and I shook my head from the couch right before he hit a hideous rope hook well left of the Road Hole bunker. Isn't that what happens when a master of the fade is trying to draw one in hard to avoid the most architecturally significant 12 square yards in the game?


I keep thinking about Tiger's drive on 18 in round 1, compared to Paul Lawrie's. Cool to see two of the furthest-from-their-prime bodies in the field with a puncher's chance to make a closing ace, but also to see the very fine line those shots need to walk between sin and sainthood.

[Ally Mcintosh]

The course has been great these first two days. Lots of examples of pro’s going direct for flags when they shouldn’t have been.


It may look like it’s being overpowered and is therefore irrelevant. But it isn’t.

[Sean_A]

The R&A have done a great job with hole locations this year. They have highlighted why angles still matter if a course is f&f. TOC remains highly entertaining for me regardless of scores. But I accept that par is a meaningless concept.

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

The use of out-of-the box hole positions has been important in the first two rounds.
The reasoning behind such hole locations can be argued about but I suggest it's rather unlikely to be to aid lower scoring.

atb