I have the first--and maybe one which will turn out the most popular--I have seen several clips of practice rounds where players can't hold #7 (REDAN) with their tee shots.  
I've read interviews with Sergio, Ernie, etc, where they talk about how tough the hole is.  I think this hole in particular will play a significant role in the tournament.
On another note, I also think this Open will open the public's eyes to classic golf architecture even more, and perhaps renew interest in the classic courses even more, or hopefully stimulate appreciation for the classic courses and golf course architecture even more.  

Oh, well, the best-laid plans of mice and men...

What do you think of David Roesch's game?

Birdie can be had at #7 Faldo curling one in the hole.

Floyd as a member coming up short on #10 and rolling back.

Dan:

Maybe you said just one post per person and as the tournament goes along but I'd also like to add it'd be my great hope that in this tournament a situation or perhaps even a few of them may arise and become significant (in media coverage) where the winner actually decided to use a strategy of not trying to get up and down (say from around one of the greens such as #7) but consciously (and happily) played for not worse than one more stroke than getting up and down.

I think for the golfing public to see that and what that means would be a message of incalculable value to both golf and golf course architecture!!

Dan, I didn't see too much of the broadcast today, but I did see Corey Pavin with a second shot to 18 that was about 195 VS his 1995 shot that was 223.  As we all know, he hit a magic 4 wood then, and today a flat iron (3-4I?)  Darned if he didn't get todays shot on the same flight line, but even with the iron trajectory, he hit the green VS bouncing just short in the fringe cut in '95.  Todays shot almost stopped on the back of the green, but did just trickle behind.  He chipped to just about the same spot as his putt in 95 (which he missed then and made today).

Watching the shots at 11 with the perfect ones that held the green, landing in fringe high right, or just on with the right amount of spin and cut spin.  Others, looking good all the way to the pin trickling well left and off, and of course so many trickling off the back, through the swale and to the rough cut.  We saw that good players with the right placement and able to spin it correctly, could play the hole, with skill as well as luck.   I also love the saddle tee ball to blind lone small tree with the deep hill taking the ball way right and usually into intermediate cut, with a second shot to a perfect skyline green.  Once again, the architecture demanded finesse and skill, sometimes offered lucky bounces, and took its share of victims, yet not unfairly so. IMHO

PS:  I did see the superintendent Machuad do an Golf Channel interview and offered before and after pics of a couple of holes demonstrating the tree-scrubb brush romoval and re-establishment of desirable native grasses.  That was even better than Doak's too short interview.  I think people may have learned more from Machaud's presentation about restoration architecture and the rationale behind tree removal and rough native rehabilitation than anything else presented so far.  Kudos to Superintendent Machaud.

About the only other architectural knowledge I've gleaned all day is that Kelly Tilghman's chest looks a little bigger these days.

John,

You know the rules of this site. No commenting on Kelly Tilghman's bunkers unless you have played with them or made a site visit.  

Shivas,

I would have agreed with you until straight after the rain delay last night, a player holes in one at the 7th to a relatively frontal pin position with one hop and skip, bit of spin and straight in...

James

Brian,

Will do and I'll edit this...

Yes I have played both my friend..

J

In the spirit of Dan's original purpose here, could someone who is at SH comment on 14?

From what I see on TV, the diagonal crypto cross bunker in the landing area not only looks terrific, but it seems to play very strategically. The green slopes away from the fairway (true?), thus heightening the payoff for long drives that get past that bunker. A fall-away green will  pay a higher than normal premium to short iron approaches.

In short, the bunker strikes me as a hazard that actually tempts big hitters. It calls for real choices. Again, because of the demands of the fall-away green. (It will be fun to see the 14th's TEP number at the end of the tournie.)

Or am I getting a distorted TV view of the hole?

Bob

Bob,

I posted a bunch of 14 photos on the Shinnecock photos thread.  The bunker on the right corner seemed to be easy for them to clear ( see the 2nd photo, they are walking past it). The big far left will probably come into play for the bigger hitters, so a fade is the best shot. I think the angle of that fairway will be a bigger concern than the bunkers.

Mayday Malone was commenting on that "Flynn green" at 14, so maybe he will jump in for specifics.

Bob,

I have only played it once, and now a long time ago pre technology and pre tree removal.

#10, for whatever reason I love this hole and I like the way the USGA has treated the back of the green. The approach will require great thought; the highlight may be the number of interesting recovery shots around the green.

Tom,

Did not quite get the run-off behind 10:



11 from left of tee:


11 from left side:

How did MA Jimenez take 9 shots on the par 3, number 11 yesterday?  

He miss, he miss, he miss, he miss, he miss, he miss, he miss, he miss,
he make.

(Sorry. Couldn't resist temptation.)

I propose to limit this thread to one sort of post -- and hope you'll find it useful.

I invite you, gentlemen (and, of course, ladies), to post here, as the tournament progresses, specific *moments* when Shinnecock's architectural genius (apparently undisputed here, or anywhere) reveals itself and, in so doing, creates unusually interesting golf competition.

I'm not sure exactly what I mean, but I think what I'm looking for are the moments when the course shines brighter than any of the players on it.

Thanks in advance.

Getting back to the topic at hand, I've only had a chance to watch a few hours of coverage, but to me the score so far is Golfers 2, Course 0.