Well stated JB.
Left coast Tom, I fear you underestimate the strategic merit of ANGC. To wit:
At no. 2 the player must thread the longer drive between the right hand bunker and a low wooded jail to the left for any chance to get home in two. As for the second shot, the hole is harmed by the narrowing of the fairway. Did you notice how many players hit their third shots from the right-hand rough to access the back left pin on Saturday?
At no. 3 the fourth greatest player of all time makes a double on a 320 yard hole with no H20.
No. 5 now demands a longer tee shot to access the difficult pin positions. How many times did players hit the green from the left-hand bunkers or right-hand rough.
No. 6 has that fabulous back right plateau, forcing many players to miss right to avoid having to putt up and over. Among the leaders, only Weir hit it close.
No. 8 requires the player to challenge the fairway bunker to have the distance and angle to get home in two. IMHO, this is the most underrated hole on the golf course.
No. 9 is all about distance control on the second shot now that everybody's driving to the bottom of the hill. Does a player dare to try to get close and run the risk of watching his ball roll back down the fairway as did Greg Norman at the start of his collapse a few years ago? The resulting downhill lag putt is no piece of cake.
No. 10 is also diminished by the rough. Players used to sling big hooks down the right side and get the turbo boost necessary to yield a mid to short iron second. There's still a good elevation change, but the line of charm is dictated.
No. 11. Hogan's famous quote about playing right on the second shot is enough said.
No. 12. See my other post. Contrary to what many would think, this is not a dart board.
No. 13. I don't understand the complaints about a lack of eagles here. One of the playoff participants made 3 here. Contrast that with The Beemer's debacle on Sunday.
No. 15. I actually like the rough, but not the trees down the right hand side. Contrary to another post, I seem to recall turbo-boosting mounds down the right IN the fairway. This was already the preferred line given the older trees encroaching on the left. The layup here does not yield an automatic par, much less birdie and the right green-side bunker provides a safe harbor but it's not that easy to hit.
No. 16. I like the either/or contours of this green. Leave it out right to a left-hand pin and a treacherous two-putt follows. Fail to keep it on the high right-hand side tests the players's ability to judge pace up the hill.
No. 18. The strategic merit of this hole has been compromised by its lengthening. More players in the trees (both sides) this year and virtually no one playing from the fairway bunkers. Very little chance for a winning birdie like O'Meara's or suspenseful misses like _______________(you fill in the blank).
Just my opinion. It ought to be yours
Regards,
Mike