Injury Rough Is Back And It's Lamer Than Ever!

I read through the lines after Sergio Garcia's post-round (76) comments about rough in Abu Dhabi, and wrote about it for GolfDigest.com. I think you'll be surprised to find Sergio was right to call out the course setup tactics.

Because just when you thought the days of injury-inducing rough had ended...

Update on 2014-01-16 20:56 by Geoff

**A SkySports.com report quotes broadcaster Ewan Murray praising the rough, even though it might induce injury.

Murray described the course set-up as "marvellous", and said: "You are talking about setting up the golf course to test some of the finest players in the game today. In my opinion, that examination needs to be a stern one.

"Straight driving is very much part of the game and those who hit most fairways should have the advantage over those who don't. You will not beat these players will length alone, but you will identify the best of them by putting the premium on accuracy.

"The Tour should shorten the course on perhaps two of the four days and combine that with tucking the pins away. Give them different tests rather than the same all four rounds.

"The courses in the States are too easy. There is little or no rough and that plays into the hands of the long hitters. Their setting up of courses creates one dimensional players.

Who'd a thunk we'd come to the point that the U.S. was home to low rough and it was Europe trying to give us the dreadful high-rough, yawnfest golf?

"We copy America too often. The European Tour should take the lead, add variety and ask the players some different questions. When you do that the best will come up with the answers."

Asking players to walk a fine thin center line is not asking a different question. It's asking the same one-dimensional question over and over again.

Video: Nobilo Explains Oak Hill's Graduated Rough

I'll get a firsthand look Tuesday but based on some of the Tweeted photographs and looking at Frank Nobilo's analysis of the rough and select holes I feel like we're in for a repeat of the high rough, uber-plodding golf we saw the last time the PGA was at Oak Hill.

Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Be Excited About The Demise Of "Glory's Last Shot"...

The Forecaddie this week says Tim Finchem also deserves credit for the demise of the PGA of America's silly "Glory's Last Shot" slogan. However, Finchem's reasoning had to do with the FedExCup glory looming after the PGA, not the sheer silliness.

Everyone on three...one, two, three: OY VEY!

Anyway while I was vacationing I see the PGA Of America confirmed they are getting rid of Glory's Last Shot and ushering in a fan contest to select a Sunday 15th hole location at Oak Hill.

Yes, it will be from one of four Kerry Haigh-determined hole locations but this still seems like something the other majors would never think of doing (even though Jack Nicklaus' endorsement helps soften the blow). Maybe I'd feel more excited if there were going to be fifteen PSA's and 435 commercial breaks during the perenially unwatchable PGA Championship telecast.

The Reuters story, and the PGA of America press release.

For Immediate Release:

A collaborative learning experience between The PGA of America and record-tying, five-time PGA Champion Jack Nicklaus, the "PGA Championship Pick the Hole Location Challenge" is designed to educate fans on how course setup impacts a golfer's strategy in playing a hole; attract more people to the game; and help explain what hole location information players are provided each day.

As a result, Haigh has identified and selected each of these four distinct Championship hole locations for fans to vote. On August 11, during Sunday's final round coverage on TNT and CBS, fans will be able to see the winning hole position that will be used on the 15th green.

You can vote here.

2013 U.S. Open Course Set-Up Reviews In And They Are Not Exactly Glowing

I would call my Golf World review of the USGA's course setup at Merion "mixed" with a lean toward positive because the emphasis on difficulty let the Merion membership feel good about hosting the U.S. Open.  In other words, there was a political element to this year's setup and Mike Davis addressed that.

However, in the details I certainly make clear there were some elements that were just not very good and contradictory of the USGA's desire to show off Merion's supreme architecture. In particular, was lack of width and the setup of the third hole Sunday, something Phil Mickelson, errr...lamented.

Anyway, check out my story in Golf World this week.

I have a few stats in my story, but Jim McCabe also breaks down Merion "by the numbers" and has some fun stuff to share at Golfweek.com

Tod Leonard wasn't so forgiving and says Mike Davis "botched" the setup.

There is making the course hard, and there’s making it fair, and Davis — who hasn’t erred much during his reign — made a mistake with this one. The final round was drudgery, not good or interesting golf. The USGA is trying to grow the game. Would anybody want to go out and take up golf after watching that?

Rex Hoggard talked to players at the Travelers and concludes that the USGA did not do a good job showing off Merion at its best.

“I met a guy in the airport on Saturday when I was flying home, he was 91 (years old),” Glover said. “He had been to every Open since 1950 at Merion. I asked how fast the greens were in ’81, he said, ‘10 (on the Stimpmeter).’ I said how long was the rough, ‘3 inches.’ I asked if that was the same golf course and he said, ‘Absolutely not,’ . . . he said it was atrocious.”

Lost in last week’s reintroduction of Merion after a 32-year hiatus from the U.S. Open rotation was the fact that this was not the same course where Bobby Jones completed the Grand Slam in 1930 by winning the U.S. Amateur or where Ben Hogan made emotional history at the 1950 U.S. Open.

Davis, the USGA executive director who took over for Tom Meeks as the Open’s top setup man in 2004, has proven himself adept at setting up fair, but difficult golf courses. This time, however, he may have blazed through a few stop signs on his way to Sunday’s trophy presentation.

Of the 500 or so votes cast in the poll here, it's clear the setup was seen as a way to mask distance gains and that very few saw the week as a resounding win for the pro-do-nothing-about-distance set.

Ogilvy Loved Merion But...Too Narrow, Too Much Chip Out Rough

Post Merion 2013 observations from Geoff Ogilvy.

From this week's Golf World:

My one criticism of the course setup would be that the fairways were too narrow. Merion is a great course with many great holes, but it was sometimes hard to tell with so much rough everywhere. It was tough to picture how it sets up and plays for the members.

I know that -- apart from next year at Pinehurst -- calling for more width in the U.S. Open is a forlorn hope. I have a suggestion though. I would like to see dry, "flier" rough rather than the "chip-out" long grass we had at Merion. Maybe the wet weather precluded doing anything about the thickness of the rough, but it would have been nice to see guys attempting risky recovery shots (perhaps the most exciting aspect of professional golf) rather than hacking out 50 yards or so up the fairway. Anyone and everyone can do that.

He goes on to explain why local knowledge was a good thing and how Merion provided good "awkwardness" especially had there been some room to get suckered into bad plays.

Johnny: U.S. Open Has Become "More Like A PGA Tour Event"

Doug Ferguson's AP notes includes this from Johnny Miller, who misses the old U.S. Open of high rough, chipping out and uh, more rough. He should get his wish at Merion.

''I think it lost its identity, personally,'' Miller said. ''I don't agree with that one bit. To me, the U.S. Open is supposed to be the ultimate test. ... I just thought like at Torrey (Pines), they set it up like an old Andy Williams with distance. Not that it wasn't a good Open - it was a great Open. But I like the rough, personally.''