Week 9: The 9th at Oakmont

[TEPaul]

I believe this will be the first time this hole is played as a par 4 and it definitely needs to be. I hit a second shot to about five yards in front of the green with a drive and a utilily club from the tips and if I can do that Woods & Co might be hitting a wedge in there in the Open.

[Bill_Yates]

Matt,
Yes, there is another channel that runs across the green.  This generally marks the end of the putting green.  you can see it noted on the green notes sketch above. I would roughly estimate that channel to be at about the halfway mark of the green's depth.

[JohnV]

I believe this will be the first time this hole is played as a par 4 and it definitely needs to be. I hit a second shot to about five yards in front of the green with a drive and a utilily club from the tips and if I can do that Woods & Co might be hitting a wedge in there in the Open.

My girlfriend was a marshall on #9 at the Amateur and Trip Kuehne hit one 375 yards uphill.  One of Fazio's people was out there measuring the drives so she is sure of that number.

[Matt_Ward]

The hole should be played as a par-5 -- changing it for this year's event is a cheap trick simply to deflate the possibility of additional under-par rounds at Oakmont and is nothing more than interbal contrivance that is unnecessary / unworthy given the nature of the test the overall course provides.

Simply one man's opinion -- a truly remarkable hole and one of the more unique green complexes one can ever see.

[Sean_A]

I don't think it makes any difference if it is a par 4 or 5.  Both have their implications as to "expectations", but so what.  Its stroke play so par is not the issue, strokes are.  I don't see why it matters to anyone, especially folks not taking part in the competition.  

Ciao

[David_Madison]

How can a hole that can be played with an average drive and a 5-iron (or less) be played as a par-5? If it's the reasonable expectation at the tour level is that the hole can be reached with a second shot of 200 yards or less, then it has to be a par-4. And besides, the hole, at least from my experience, has the look and feel of a very tough but playably fair par-4, and playing it as a par-5 becomes the manipulation of par.

[Kalen Braley]

I agree on this one, for most it will be driver and some mid to long iron.

But poor Corey Pavin, it will likely be Driver/3 wood for him.

[JohnV]

I agree on this one, for most it will be driver and some mid to long iron.

But poor Corey Pavin, it will likely be Driver/3 wood for him.

Perhaps he can play from the ladies tees.  As I recall, he had to hit a 4-wood to the 18th at Shinnecock when he won there.

[Jonathan Cummings]

Any word on how the USGA is going to treat players that intentionally hit their drives off #9 into the first fairway, affording themselves a much safer route to the hole?

There was no resolution between the Oakmont and USGA folks when I was there this past fall.

JC

[PThomas]

How can a hole that can be played with an average drive and a 5-iron (or less) be played as a par-5? If it's the reasonable expectation at the tour level is that the hole can be reached with a second shot of 200 yards or less, then it has to be a par-4.

well said David

[Mike_Cirba]

I believe this will be the first time this hole is played as a par 4 and it definitely needs to be. I hit a second shot to about five yards in front of the green with a drive and a utilily club from the tips and if I can do that Woods & Co might be hitting a wedge in there in the Open.

C'mon Tom, you're fooling no one.

You conveniently neglected to mention that you've been religiously pumping iron and taking intravenous "supplements", and have added about 35 pounds of pure muscle to your Crenshawnian frame.