Can Pebble Beach survive the technology onslaught?

[ChipOat]

Could not fathom the number of players hitting 9 iron and wedge to #'s 9 and 10 - not just big hitter DL III.

A recent article in Golf World said Els is hitting the tee shot 40 YARDS FURTHER this year.  Can that be possible?

As to another theme of this thread - #14 gets my vote as one of the top par 5's in golf.  #6 looks more dramatic and #18 has all kinds of natural advantages, but the strategy to set up that great 3rd shot on #14 (from 100 feet or 100 yards) - just the best.

[BCrosby]

Chipoat -

Agree on no. 14 at Pebble. An elegant, strategic par 5 that all turns on its incredible green complex. That little right turn in the fairway to 275 is perfect. Without a beach nearby, it doesn't get the attention it deserves. Best par 5 on the course.

In a similar vein, I think the best par 5 at ANGC is no. 8. But it's on the front, gets little TV coverage and has no water.

Bob  

[Dan Kelly]

Seems to me that quite a few guys took a run at second shots to 14.

Would it be heresy to suggest that 14 at Pebble would be a more interesting hole (particularly as more and more of these big boys can reach it in 2) if there were one, small pinnable position up front? I'm talking about a pinnable area so small that putting your ball anywhere past it would bring with it the potential for putting back off the front.

[ForkaB]

That is a GREAT idea, Dan!  Turn the left hand bunker into a little pot, excavate the back 1/2 of the green and make it a slippery slope.  Build a wee nasty green on the currently irrelevant right side that can reached in two but will be hard to hit in 3.  Of course, it will never happen........

[A_Clay_Man]

There's no doubt that the conditions this weekend made 14 reachable in two, but how many 3's did it yield? I doubt too many. I also doubt the course we stay F&F for the general public, but one can hope.

[Bob_Huntley]

Had a chat this morning, with a former amateur who won the event with Johnny Miller some years ago. A long hitter himself, he was astonished at Mickelson's length. At No. 14 he hit it on the BACK of the green with a five iron. At No. 15 he was thirty five yards from the front of the green. I guess the big hit doesn't help when you are shooting 80.

[Robert_Walker]

I saw that Mickelson's driving distance average is sliding down after the at&t. It will be interesting to see how those numbers look in another month.

[Ken_Cotner]

Ray Floyd hit #14 in two...in the US Open...in 1992.  Big slinging hook 3-wood second shot.  Can't remember if it made it to the top tier.

KC

Strangest sight of the tournament (or at least of the 30 minutes I watched on Saturday) -- Neil Young playing.  Neil Young and golf in the same sentence!  Pretty nice swing, and he looked VERY relaxed!  

[Andrew Roberts]

Shivas, I agree that 15 probably needs to be spruced up.  We should have I believe is it Ian Andrew?  Take a picture of 15 and change the landing area with his computer program.  Of course that is if he's willing. I still suggest putting a couple of pot bunkers about the 280-300 down the left but yours does not sound bad either.

[Matt_Ward]

Before people go wild -- let's not forget that PB had little or no wind for the balance of the event. Couple that with firm conditions and players keeping the tee ball in play were able to hit shorter clubs into the tiny targets.

I would not sell PB short because if wind does kick-in (maybe not as fierce as the final round in '92) then the boys would be struggling to break 75. Also, try to maintain a steady posture when the wind is howling off the ocean and let's see how many short ones get away from the world's best.

I have no problem with what the top players shot this year. The golf was stellar and hats off to DLIII in demonstrating that he's far from "over the hill."

I hope that PB does in fact land the '10 Open as Jim Nance alluded to Clint during the broadcast.

[A_Clay_Man]

I hate to go here but how many people on this board have birdied #15?

Point being that it may be wide and open but par is still the more frequent score here. It's one of those holes that you think you should birdie every time and the truth is the green is very tricky and you don't.