Women's British Open Thread (The Old Course, St. Andrews)

[kkcountry]

I don't know if a women's major exactly warrants a thread all its own, but I did find some rather interesting news leading up to it.

Woods' Old Course yardage book in Sorenstam's pocket

That's pretty interesting, as nobody takes as thorough of notes as tiger does, at least since jack. I wonder how much that book would fetch on ebay.

Oh and I wanted an excuse to share this pic. Somebody plz plz plz hook me up with Miss Paula Creamer, she looks fun. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[JavaNut]

Well Creamer and Gulbis and, as I have quite a soft spot for Annika, Sörenstam each deserves threads for themselves.

Nice picture btw. Don't women realise what they do to us poor blokes when they do things like that? Or are they as I suspect very much aware of it? [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[esad]

Interesting that they are playing the course at Par 73 because they are playing the 17th from the back tees and it's a par 5. Kinda makes sense though. Hitting a long iron into that hole it would be pretty impossible for the women to hold the green.

Don't know why they wouldn't move the tees up though and play it as a par 4 from 410 or so. It kinda seems like a boring hole now with the layup option.

[sean c]

I'm with you esad. One of the all time great holes shouldn't be an easy par five. It may be a pretty cool risk/reward hole for the ladies that try to get home in two but I still don't like seeing play as a par five.

[Butcho22]

So glad I don't have to still hear the media talk about who is more dominant, Tiger or Annika. ugh

[HDPM]

Remember the Road Hole was traditionally a par 5. I sort of agree they should have left it as a par 4, but it really should not matter or make a difference in the excitement factor. The hole is a half par hole either way. Many players through the years played it safely figuring an up and down gave them a better chance at a 4. I have not seen the coverage, but it sounded like the women were getting there and making a lot of 4's. If it gets windy it will be harder I guess. The hole is a tremendous match play hole of course, and that is more important than what they label par for a championship at stroke play. Play 72 and add it up, the player with the fewest wins. Scoring in relation to par is just done for the artificial drama. Which I suppose I like because it is better to watch on TV.

[sean c]

[ QUOTE ]
Scoring in relation to par is just done for the artificial drama.

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I don't really agree with this at least for the men. Look at Paddy at Carnastie. Pros almost never play a par four to lay up ever. Reargdless of par a player should play a hole that gives them the best chance to make a certain score but it doesn't happen that way. Imagine if your in the hunt, tied or in the lead on the 71st tee box of the open. If its a par five and you choose to hit hybrid off the tee and intentionally play it as a three shot hole its no big deal but if its a par four and you do that your gonna get grilled if you don't pull it off.

[HDPM]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Scoring in relation to par is just done for the artificial drama.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't really agree with this at least for the men. Look at Paddy at Carnastie. Pros almost never play a par four to lay up ever. Reargdless of par a player should play a hole that gives them the best chance to make a certain score but it doesn't happen that way. Imagine if your in the hunt, tied or in the lead on the 71st tee box of the open. If its a par five and you choose to hit hybrid off the tee and intentionally play it as a three shot hole its no big deal but if its a par four and you do that your gonna get grilled if you don't pull it off.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good point. The scorecard can be a hazard, but only if you let it. A smart player knows par is artificial and meaningless really. When a player does something like Toms laying up on the par 4 at the end of the PGA people think about it more. It really is kind of silly though. From a given position, the player should simply think of how to play to have the best chance at a given score. Certainly if the player knows he needs a birdie a more aggressive play may be in order, although not necessarily off the tee. Anyway, I think in general people get way too hung up on par, including people who should know better, like those at the USGA.

[esad]

Well watching the coverage Judy Rankin said that the reason 17 is setup that way is because they wanted to use the same back tees that they use for the men's championships, so the ladies would have the same blind tee shot.

At 455 yards though, it's a bit much to ask some of the women to have to hit a 200+ yard shot into that green. They were probably afraid if they left it a par 4 it would be a nightmare.

Oddly enough it's playing at about 4.5 - 4.6 which is what is generally plays for the men.

[sean c]

The only way 455 is a huge deal for the women is if there is wind. In that case move the tee up for that day. 17 should scare the piss out of you not be a 455 yrd par five.