Old Course Road Hole To Be Lengthened Ahead Of 2010 Open Championship
At St Andrews
October 16, 2009 - St Andrews, Scotland: The 17th hole of
the Old Course
will be lengthened ahead of the 150th
Anniversary of The Open
Championship at St Andrews. The
'Road Hole', which has remained the
same length for more than
100 years, will increase in length by some 35
yards to 490
yards. A new Championship tee will be constructed on the
practice range of St Andrews Links Trust.
It has long been suggested that the 17th hole would benefit from
additional length to restore the original challenge of the hole. In
advance of the 1964 St Andrews Open, three-time Open
Champion, Henry
Cotton, recommended the alteration stating:
"I would make a tee just
beyond the railway line on the other
course [he was referring to the
Eden Course which is now the
practice range]. It would restore this
drive to its former value."
An increased premium will be placed on an accurate drive of
sufficient
length over the sheds, encouraging players to take driver
from the tee.
The fairway will be widened slightly on the left hand
side to ensure
that the tee shot remains fair. Crucially, the
difficulty of the second
shot will be re-established, making it more
difficult to hold the
approach on the putting surface and increasing the threat posed by both
the road behind the green and the Road Bunker.
"The 17th was played at the same yardage in 1900 as it was in 2005 and
this fuelled our belief that the formidable challenge of this iconic
hole should be returned for The Open Championship," said Peter Dawson,
Chief Executive of The R&A.
"Over the years, we have seen the threat from the road behind the
green, and to a lesser extent the Road Bunker, diminished as players
have been hitting shorter irons for their approach shots allowing them
to avoid these hazards more easily. This change will ensure that the
hole plays as it was originally intended."
"We have spent some time discussing this with The R&A and I know they
have carefully considered making this change for The Open
Championship," said Alan McGregor, Chief Executive of St Andrews Links
Trust.
"The Road Hole is the most famous hole in world golf and we believe the
changes will increase the challenge of the hole whilst remaining true
to its spirit."
Work on the new Championship tee will commence in the coming weeks. The
lengthening of the 'Road Hole' is the only significant change planned
for the Old Course ahead of the 2010 Open Championship.
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