Ah...Back To Reality: A Course Setup Boondoggle To Savor!
Remember the good old days when we bloggers had to harp on about course setup boondoggles instead of TMZ reports? I feel refreshed after reading about the latest Australian Open debacle that players apparently saw coming, even though the folks in charge did not. (BTW, love the picture of Ogilvy and Goggin, right. They look like they're having fun!).
Adam Lucius for Sportal:
Australian Open director Trevor Herden has been forced to defend the state of the greens and the decision to start play in 60km winds as the second day of the tournament began in a blaze of controversy at the NSW Golf Club on Friday.
In a move that angered many in the field, 39 players teed off in the treacherous conditions only for play to be suspended after just 80 minutes as balls began rolling off the greens.
Several of the greens were already under the spotlight for being too fast, the strong winds only exacerbating the problem at the exposed coastal course.
But naturally, it was someone else's fault. I think this is the first time a forecaster was directly blamed:
But Herden rejected any suggestion play should not have started, claiming the players had taken the decision 'in their stride' despite strong rumours to the contrary.
He said weather forecasters had got it wrong in predicting the southerly would hit in the late afternoon, not early morning.
And he used a stimpmeter reading, which he said indicated the NSW GC greens were not too fast, to douse criticism of the putting surfaces.
"We've done everything to protect those greens. The greens are not fast," he said.
"We've done all we can to protect those three or four greens (that are considered too fast)."
You have to love the backtrack immediately following the defense!
And you know it's bad when the leader says this.
After firing a second successive 66 to lead after an incomplete second round, Stuart Appleby said the delay was "totally, absolutely avoidable".
Bernie Pramberg writes:
"The players were in agreement that the greens should have been a lot slower," said experienced Craig Parry. "I've played in a lot stronger winds at the British Open where the greens are slower to handle the conditions."
Forty-two players were on the course when play was suspended at 8.30am after Peter O'Malley's putt on the 13th green was blown 5m past the hole.
"It takes a lot to get me upset and I was upset today," O'Malley said. "The greens were obviously too fast for the conditions."
Friday, December 4, 2009 at 12:09 PM
Reader Comments (9)
Shouldn't their Open be a more prestigious tournament than their Masters?
John
So, why the hell do we keep getting this wrong in our Open? In 1990(?) players walked off Royal Melbourne, led by Norman and Lyle. In 2002 they reduced the event to 54 holes at Victoria GC. And now, in 2009 we've done it again, with a delay caused by a set up miscalculation.
People can't play golf if the balls won't sit on the green.
Is this happening down here more than anywhere else?
That and showing the Sherwood tournament twice. Let's see, NSW on the ocean or Sherwood which is in great need of some tree trimmers?
go figure - I wouldn't have guessed better golf coverage in India over the US!
I did see something funny on Thursday. I was following Appleby and Steve Marino was in his group and on the 7th Marino hit his ball on the green back right and a couple of the spectators I was walking around with started laughing and one of them called out to Marino "Good luck with that". I've played New South Wales lots of times and on the 7th you DO NOT hit it above the pin, the green slopes from back to front dramatically and on Thursday there was a more than stiff breeze blowing in to the players on the 7th making it worse.
I said to my brother who was there with me that I gave Marino a 50/50 chance of keeping it on the green with his first putt and my brother reckoned I was being extremely generous. Sure enough Marino just got it rolling, there was a glimmer of hope as it slowed near the pin then it was all over red rover from that point and he rolled about 20 or 30 yards off the front of the green. Mind you he did hit a great chip and hole the next one for bogey. My brother and I are still arguing about whether it was a two or a three putt.
Watching a quality field try to get it around New South Wales in testing conditions did make me feel better about the times I haven't managed to break 80 there. When the wind gets up as it always does the place is almost impossible. I'd love to see more tournaments played out there, it really is as fine a test of golf as you'll find anywhere and the scenery is absolutely magnificent.