“We would like to advise you of an adjustment we have made to the way the bunkers are raked overnight,” the R&A said in a statement to media. “Yesterday afternoon the bunkers dried out more than we have seen in recent weeks and that led to more balls running straight up against the face than we would normally expect. We have therefore raked all of the bunkers slightly differently to take the sand up one revet on the face of the bunkers.”
Masters champion Jon Rahm described Royal Liverpool’s 82 bunkers as “proper penalty structures” after having to play backwards out of one during his opening 74 on Thursday, while Rory McIlroy needed two shots to escape a greenside trap on the 18th.
Four-time major winner McIlroy said: “When you hit it into these bunkers you’re sort of riding your luck at that point and hoping it’s not up against one of those revetted faces.”
Two-time US PGA winner Justin Thomas had a nightmare on the final hole at Hoylake after finding a bunker, ending up with a quadruple-bogey nine.
In response, the R&A instructed greenkeeping staff to build up the edges of the bunkers to allow more balls to roll back into the centre.
Yesterday afternoon the bunkers dried out more than we have seen in recent weeks and that led to more balls running straight up against the face than we would normally expect,” the R&A said in a statement.
“We have therefore raked all of the bunkers slightly differently to take the sand up one revet on the face of the bunkers.
“We routinely rake bunkers flat at most Open venues but decided this adjustment was appropriate in light of the drier conditions which arose yesterday.
“We will continue to monitor this closely for the remainder of the championship.”
Even those players who managed to successfully escape from the bunkers on day one had expressed their concerns, with former champion Stewart Cink speaking out following a bogey-free 68.
“Eventually it’ll catch up with you,” the 2009 winner said. “The bottoms of them are so flat that if a ball comes in with any momentum, it’s just going right up to the lip and stop.
“There’s not a little upslope that helps you at all. They are very penal.”
The greenkeeping crew began doing emergency work to return concave floors to Hoylake’s greenside bunkers. Shame for the crew to have to do the extra work, but the right call for the Championship Committee.
A couple of months ago, before the shock June 6 announcement there was a rumour that avid golfer Will Ferell was about to start work on a show about a Mickelson-type character who upsets the status quo by joining a new league competing with the PGA. Aand this is a comedy? I would love to see who would be cast to play Norman. The whole idea may now have to be re-worked but somehow we need to find the humour in what has been an exhausting time. If this doesnt happen, Fire Saga Part 2 please!
Indeed. I was watching Justin Thomas’ awful end to his round and marvelling at his composure dealing with the bunker. But this is what he probably was thinking inside. Jon Rahm’s expressive face betrayed his emotions too. This course is going to be so tough at the weekend.
While Rory Mcilroy has been an absolute hero for taking a stance about LIV Golf, another hero has stepped forward and off the fence about the pending merger of the tours. In an interview with the Guardian Ernie spoke his mind and pulled no punches.
The four time major champion attacked the controversial merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
He shot 75 today but after his round he said that the alliance is “an absolute shambles”
On 6 June the shock announcement of the billion dollar deal with PIF was made and still the details of how this is all going to be worked out are unclear. But Els is furious about how secretive the whole dealings were.
“If this had happened in my day there is no way that Jay Monahan is around. No way. And the board has to change. You do shit like this – I’m sorry it’s not right. Talk to us, tell us what you’re going to do, plan on negotiating.
Don’t just go rogue as a member of the board and come back with a deal and think we’re going to say yes. You’re affecting people’s lives. You’re affecting the professional game. It’s just so bad.
He has no time for the LIV model. Teams and 54 hole events. “This is circus golf”. Team golf only works maybe in a two-month, three month happy season.
Get these guys totgether…and play around the world. But then play real golf. That’s what this thing is all about. That’s what I prided myself on. Like Tiger and some of these guys. Getting yourself into majors. And grinding.
For these guys to go out there and do what they did, just off the cuff as a board member. Do a deal nobody knows about? The Commissioner is supposed to be running our tour. These board members make a deal or so called deal with no input from the players.
It’s an absolute shambles. I’m worried.
Els believes a more satisfactory outcome would involve PIF being a junior partner in the tour. Instead the fund will potentially pour billions into a new commercial entity.
Does Yasir Al-Rumayyan (the PIF Governor) come in at a different rate smaller investment to see if they are the right partner? said Els.
Not just come in and take over world golf. That’s ridiculous. We need to slow things down.
Not one of Rickie Fowler’s better days even though he’s playing as well now as he ever has. Tied 5th on the 18th hole he then hit two balls out of bounds,
Earlier he had been heckled by a man in the gallery who called him a coward for not going through with the Leeds United investment that Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas are involved in.
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas have gone ahead with theninvestment. Jordan said “it’s a big city, a historic club, a great venue – Elland Road. Once you start to look into it, we knew it could be really exciting. I’m really excited to have a team that I’m emotionally invested in. It’ll be Championship for now, but Premier League hopefully soon.”
Spieth put together a strong opening round at Royal Liverpool by carding a 69, leaving himself at -2, but the story of the day was 6ft 8in amateur Christo Lamprecht stealing an early march as he went into the clubhouse at -5.
golfweloveit 