Tiger Says Putting From Below The Hole A Priority (On Poa)

I will side with Tiger Woods since he knows what he’s doing and certainly would never want to putt from above the hole at Pebble Beach, but it’s still interesting to consider the best strategy for playing a U.S. Open course. Yesterday in his 2019 US Open press conference, Woods explained his priority in approaching the Pebble Beach poa annua greens:

The trick to putting on poa is to make sure they're always below the hole. If you're putting downhill, it's like a Plinko effect, you're going to go every which way. The key is to be below the hole where you can take low lines and try and take the bumpiness out of play.

Strokes Gained Guru Mark Broadie has been studying the effort to get a ball under the hole now that ShotLink numbers are tracking putts from different parts of greens and is making the case that it all evens out on the greens. Granted, he wasn’t talking about specific grass types, but it’s still fascinating food for thought given modern green speeds and players wanting to be below the hole, even if it does not necessarily apply to Pebble Beach this week.

Simple: It’s very hard, over the course of a full season, for a player to leave himself a lot more easier putts than difficult ones, and vice-versa. Over the course of dozens and dozens of rounds, everything tends to even out. So planning to give yourself more uphill putts than downhill ones isn’t a strategy worth pursuing. No evidence exists to show that players can systematically leave themselves with easier types of eight-footers.

Crews Will Be Standing By To Put Out Pebble Beach Hotspots

Nice note here from Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com on the USGA advising players of the right to hit greens with water midday to prevent, well, we all know…

One of the concerns following the last U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, in 2010, was how the poa annua greens became particularly difficult in dry conditions, much like those forecast for this week. Perhaps in reaction to that officials have told players that they will syringe greens between the morning and afternoon waves on Thursday and Friday if needed.

Best Of 2019 U.S. Open Merchandise

The USGA hands over control of the operation when Pebble Beach hosts the U.S. Open, so some of the stalwart brands and items may or not make it to the peninsula. Some new faces like Travis Matthew and Vineyard Vines added a few of the livelier items.

My roundup of the 2019 merchandise for Golfweek.

First Impressions Of Pebble Beach's 2019 U.S. Open Setup

Latest on-site weather forecast from Thorguard…

I got out for a bit to throw golf balls around, check out the rough and assess it for Golfweek.

The course is in a great spot heading to the event and more than able to handle the surprising heat we’ve experienced Sunday and Monday.

Last year’s U.S. Amateur winner, Viktor Hovland, visited the media center and compared the setup to last summer’s event he won over Devon Bling.

VIKTOR HOVLAND: Yeah, definitely generally the rough is a lot thicker than it was last year, and a lot of the fairways are narrower. So, for example, on 4, the fairway is right of that bunker; that used to be in the middle of the fairway. And, for example, on 11, that one is basically cut in half. And there's one other one. For example, 8 is moved all the way over on the right side, where you used to have the world to the left.

But as of right now, the greens are pretty soft and on the slower side. At the Am they were fairly firm and fast. But I'm assuming they're going to become that way later in the week. So not too worried about that.

Q. More along those lines, how about things like the rough, and also can you take anything from that experience and bring it into this, or does this feel like a completely different world?

VIKTOR HOVLAND: I mean, a lot of things are different. Obviously the atmosphere and the tournament is different. But it's still the same course and you still have somewhat of the same lines off of the tees. The greens still do the same way, they still break the same ways. And I think just a couple of things here and there. Oh, yeah, I missed it in the left bunker, but that wasn't too bad in, for example, that spot that you kind of learn.

Golf.com’s Pat Ralph talked to the USGA’s John Bodenhamer about the setup he’s overseeing this year. This sums up the changes since 2010:

Both 14 and 17 were really restored to more of what the architect originally intended for it to do. So those four greens 9, 13, 14 and 17, are different and we think that the restoration of those is a great improvement. A new teeing area that was added a few years ago on number nine adds about 21 yards for that par 4 when played from the very back. The only other thing, really, that’s different is that a little bit of the fairway on number 11 has been rerouted from the right-back to the left, where it originally was. And at 14, we had a runoff left of the green that’s no longer there which is all rough again. So it’s really going back to what the U.S. Open has always been at Pebble Beach.

State Of The Game 95: Previewing The 2019 U.S. Open

Rod and Mike and I talk all things Pebble Beach, the U.S. Open and the big week in Northern California. The iTunes option or, wherever fine pods are streamed or you can listen below…

Pebble Beach Flyovers: Seventeenth And Eighteenth Holes

By 2010 the 17th green had devolved to the point players were intentionally placing their tee shot in the bunker, then taking the chances with an up-and-down. As I recall—please tell me if you think otherwise—the hole was cut left on this hourglass green all four days.

Here was a then and now view of 17 (1929 vs. 2010) that I posted from the U.S. Open.

Since then the green was remodeled and is significantly more playable and interesting than last time we saw U.S. Open conditions here. It’s always one of the most difficult holes to gauge the wind’s effect in U.S. Open conditions due to the grandstand by the green and more protected tee area.

I am not sure what to expect of the famous closing hole this time around since players were regularly reaching the hole in August’s U.S. Amateur. The fairway has been narrowed significantly and forces tee shots to hug the cliffs, with the fairway bunkers now protected by rough.

The layup isn’t much to worry about without the overhanging tree of yesteryear, but the 70-foot tall replacement can be a killer if a player goes for the green and leaves a shot out to the right. Still, expect players to try and get as close to the green as possible if they hit a good tee shot.

What Could Go Wrong? Stevie's Back! On...Jason Day's Bag

I could see scenarios where this jump-starts Jason Day’s year.

Visions of less appealing scenarios also exist.

G.C. Digital (damn him, or her!) got the confirmation from Day.

90 Years Later: The 1929 U.S. Amateur As One Of Golf's Seminal Events

1929 US Amateur Program, painting by Maurice Logan, digital restoration by Tommy Naccarato

If there was one event I could go back and experience, I now believe it’s the 1929 U.S. Amateur. Sure, ‘13 at The Country Club and the 1930 British Amateur at St. Andrews come to mind, as does 1960 at Cherry Hills. But after going back and revisiting everything that went on in advance of the 1929 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach and what that event meant for west coast golf, U.S. Opens at Pebble Beach and even the Masters, I try to make the case for ‘29 in this Golfweek story.

I mention this because this year marks the 90th anniversary and as the U.S. Open arrives at Pebble Beach, celebrating its centennial, this amateur was the event putting the course and region on the map. I also bring it up since the first amateur at Pebble Beach was always a footnote, lazily written off as the amateur Jones lost during an incredible 1-1-2-1-1-Rnd32-1 stretch.

Some of my favorite golf photos are in this USGA gallery of the 1929 event.

Pebble Beach Flyovers: Fifteenth and Sixteenth Holes

With the awkwardness of an elevated tee aiming you right, prevailing wind in your face or quartering, and out-of-bounds down the right, even today’s launchers are discouraged from attempting to drive over the fairway pot bunker 290 away.

Besides, just hitting the fairway still leaves a wedge or sand wedge approach and a great birdie opportunity, so why bother?

The line off the tee here is crucial. A tee shot played too far left can lengthen the approach yardage significantly, especially since this is likely another iron or hybrid off the tee. And with the sandy area in front (once a more menacing barranca) tee shots in the left rough will be faced with a decision on how to approach the green.

Definitely one of the most difficult putting surfaces at Pebble Beach to gauge how an approach reacts and in reading putts.

Getting In The Mood: 1982 U.S. Open Film, My US Open With Watson

The cheese factor is high, with a strong late 70s influence in hair, music and kitsch factor, which makes this 1982 U.S. Open film so much fun. It has a happy ending too. And how about PSA for the member’s program!

And here’s a great fast-forward to the present day with Watson talking about ‘82 with highlights.

Pebble Beach Flyovers: Thirteenth And Fourteenth Holes

I’ve always had something for 13 given it’s simple, but timeless strategy: hug the huge left bunker, get a great view and stance for approach the steeply-pitched Alister MacKenzie green from 1926.

Bail out right and the view stinks, the angle isn’t great and the stances vary. The bunkers down the right were suggested by the USGA’s Tom Meeks and should be filled in at the first opportunity. Like the third hole, the player should be lured to bail out, not deterred by sand.

The green has been remodeled since the last U.S. Open and certain functions much better. It still gives players fits with its steep pitch.

At 380 yards into the wind back in 1929, it was also seen as a long iron approach hole.

The 13th will feature a new tee this time around. For what it’s worth, players in last summer’s U.S. Amateur were not shy about bailing out way left.

At 580 yards the 14th can play seemingly a hundred yards longer to into the wind and uphill. It’s 330 to carry the bunkers and hard to do visually from the tee. The lurking OB right, with the wind in from the left, doesn’t help, either.

This green has been remodeled since the last U.S. Open and should function better, though without an attempt to restore the old lost front right pin, will be a bit one-dimensional again. The removal of a short grass chipping area left of the green this time around should encourage a few players to attack the green in two after a long drive.

U.S. Open Viewing Tip Sheet And What To Expect From Pebble Beach

Your most vital piece of information sits above, with the Fox schedule with ET times. Look at those prime time windows. Have I mentioned that California U.S. Opens are just better? Oh, anyway…

The Forecaddie previews a new twist on Toptracer technology from Fox Sports next week. Sounds like we will need players to go for the 14th green in two if we want to see in all its glory. And the live drone should be great fun getting the seagulls view of the action!

Golf Channel will provide plenty of programming as well, starting with Monday’s World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony followed by Morning Drive and Live From the U.S. Open coverage all week. You will note in their release my name attached to two features: one on poa annua and another Chandler Egan’s 1929 redesign of the course and whether it needs to be restored. I hope you enjoy the pieces and I’ll do my best to make sure to preview when they will air.

It’s going to be a stellar week from the Monterey Peninsula!

For Immediate Release from Fox Sports:

FOX SPORTS CONTINUES PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION 
FOR 119TH U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Tethered Drone, Operates from a Boat off the Northern California Coastline,

To Offer Unique Views of Pebble Beach

LOS ANGELES – FOX Sports continues its industry-leading production technology development, with additions and upgrades in place for its coverage of the 119th U.S. Open Championship from Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif., from Thursday, June 13 to Sunday, June 16 on FOX, FS1, FOX Deportes, FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App.

"We are planning our most comprehensive and technologically advanced U.S. Open to date, matching the excitement level surrounding the championship being held at iconic Pebble Beach,” said Zac Fields, SVP Graphic Tech & Innovation, FOX Sports. “We’re constantly improving the viewing experience of this great event and the FOX Sports team is excited to offer viewers more dynamic experiences from the golf course than ever before.” 

FOX Sports remains at the forefront of ball-tracing technology in 2019, as the network equips the tee box on all 18 holes with Trackman radar technology. Nine holes are equipped to show viewers a standard ball-trace over live video, with enhanced club and ball data. The remaining nine holes will display Emmy-nominated FOX FlightTrack, a live trace over a graphic representation of the golf hole, offering more perspective to the viewer. All 18 holes will have the ability to insert a real-time live carry distance. 

Three roaming wireless RF tracers will work to provide ball tracing on approach shots. There will also be FlightTrack for fairways shots on two holes, Nos. 6 and 14. New this year will be a mobile tower camera equipped with Toptracer technology, also positioned on No. 14, allowing for more dynamics within the shot. Unlike most tracer shots, where the camera must remain still, this camera will allow FOX Sports to pan, tilt and zoom to see the ball as it comes towards the camera. 

Just a few weeks ago, FOX Sports’ Shane Bacon and Joel Klatt played a round at Pebble Beach and discussed No. 14’s difficult approach and tough green, offering insights on what to expect from the pros at the U.S. Open: https://vimeo.com/340574507

FOX Sports’ image capture continues to evolve at the U.S. Open, with the most 1080p HDR cameras in place for any live event in the U.S. ever, placing over 50 cameras across the course, and in each tower camera and blimp to help capture the stunning beauty of Pebble Beach. 

Alongside this technology is the new penalty area camera system, which houses three cameras for over 210 degrees of capture alongside the out of bounds markers at holes Nos. 4 and 5.

As FOX Sports has done since its USGA debut in 2015, live replay coverage of the event continues to capture every camera across the course simultaneously with 178 record channels and 54 playout channels. 

A Pebble Beach first, FOX Sports will deploy a live tethered-aerial drone camera to be launched and operated from a boat along the coastline at Pebble Beach, giving the viewer unique live action on the course.

In addition to its television broadcast and featured groups and holes streams, this year FOX Sports introduces a new “USGA Practice Tee” channel, which is focused on the driving range and uses Toptracer Range technology for added insight as players warm up. Fans at Pebble Beach will see players’ shots being traced on LED boards at the range, while the broadcast and all streaming channels will be able to go into greater detail on swing technique, ball flight and more. Streaming feeds are available on FOXSports.com, the FOX Sports App, DirecTV and USGA.org.

Continuing to develop elements in augmented reality (AR) that offer viewers greater context, FOX Sports will be using various shots from multiple blimps and cranes to layer graphics on top of video, including, but not limited to, wind direction and speed, player on-course location and course statistics.

In addition to the new “USGA Practice Tee” channel, the “Featured Holes” channel gets an upgrade for 2019. Data from Trackman units on these holes will be displayed on the streaming feeds in real-time. Viewers will see data for live shots along with more advanced statistics throughout the championship.

In preparation for this week’s event, multiple days of aerial production drone flights were completed last week, capturing unique images from each of the 18 holes.

Staff & Support

• 455 technicians

• 72 support staff

• 66,000+ man-hours over 15 days

• Field Support

  • 51 miles of multi-strand fiber optics (over 1,872 miles of actual fiber connectivity)

  • 912 strands of fiber optics available across the course

  • IP Networking

    • 1,056 1Gbps Ethernet ports distributed across the course

    • 28 managed network locations

    • 94 distinct managed networks

    • 6 Gbps of Internet data managed

    • 78 Gbps of broadcast data managed

• Cameras

  • 121 Total Cameras

    • 18 – 1080p wireless cameras

      • 6 – 1080p HDR wireless cameras

    • 52 – 1080p HDR cameras

    • 12 – 100x lens-based cameras

    • 19 – 95x lens-based cameras

    • 5 – Xmo High-frame-rate cameras (4,000+ fps)

    • 2 – Sony – 8x – High-frame-rate cameras (480fps)

    • 4 – Cinematic Cameras with FOX Films look

    • 3 – RF Tracer cameras

    • 2 – Mini portable robotic cameras

    • 75’ Strada Camera Crane

• Audio

  • 12 audio consoles

  • 232 microphones across the course

    • 8 RF announcers

    • 18 hole microphones

    • 20 RF walking microphones 

• Replay / Post Production

  • 178 Record Channels

  • 54 Playout Channels

  • 768 TB real-time storage

  • 5 Edit Bays

Tee Times Are Out For The U.S. Open: The Highlights

You can see the full list at USOpen.com, and remember the TBD’s will be filled by alternates unless there are additions to the field via the RBC Canadian Open or world top 60 Sunday night.

Some that got my eye…

119th U.S. Open Championship

June 13-16, 2019

Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links

 All Times PDT

Thursday (June 13), Hole #1 / Friday (June 14), Hole #10

6:45 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. – Sam Saunders, Atlantic Beach, Fla.; Carlos Ortiz, Mexico; Marcus Fraser, Australia 

7:18 a.m. / 1:03 p.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Dallas, Texas; (a) Matt Parziale, Brockton, Mass.; Nick Taylor, Canada 

7:40 a.m. / 1:25 p.m. – Haotong Li, People's Republic of China; Bubba Watson, Bagdad, Fla.; J.B. Holmes, Lexington, Ky. 

8:24 a.m. / 2:09 p.m. – Cameron Smith, Australia; Matthew Wallace, England; Xander Schauffele, San Diego, Calif. 

Thursday (June 13), Hole #10 / Friday (June 14), Hole #1

7:51 a.m. / 1:36 p.m. – Jon Rahm, Spain; Marc Leishman, Australia; Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland 

8:02 a.m. / 1:47 p.m. – Justin Thomas, Louisville, Ky.; Kevin Kisner, Aiken, S.C.; Bryson DeChambeau, Clovis, Calif. 

8:13 a.m. / 1:58 p.m. – Dustin Johnson, Jupiter, Fla.; Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland 

8:24 a.m. / 2:09 p.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Sergio Garcia, Spain; Tommy Fleetwood, England 

Thursday (June 13), Hole #1 / Friday (June 14), Hole #10

1:03 p.m. / 7:18 a.m. – (a) Austin Eckroat, Edmond, Okla.; Alexander Noren, Sweden; Charles Howell III, Orlando, Fla. 

1:14 p.m. / 7:29 a.m. – Thomas Pieters, Belgium; Chesson Hadley, Raleigh, N.C.; (a) Stewart Hagestad, Newport Beach, Calif. 

1:25 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. – Paul Casey, England; Patrick Cantlay, North Palm Beach, Fla.; Lucas Glover, Jupiter, Fla. 

1:47 p.m. / 8:02 a.m. – Francesco Molinari, Italy; (a) Viktor Hovland, Norway; Brooks Koepka, West Palm Beach, Fla. 

2:09 p.m. / 8:24 a.m. – Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas; Justin Rose, England; Tiger Woods, Hobe Sound, Fla. 

Thursday (June 13), Hole #10 / Friday (June 14), Hole #1

12:30 p.m. / 6:45 a.m. – Nathan Lashley, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Renato Paratore, Italy; Lee Slattery, England 

12:41 p.m. / 6:56 a.m. – TBD; Collin Morikawa, La Canada Flintridge, Calif.; Aaron Wise, Las Vegas, Nev. 

1:36 p.m. / 7:51 a.m. – Luke List, Augusta, Ga.; Lucas Bjerregaard, Denmark; Branden Grace, South Africa 

1:47 p.m. / 8:02 a.m. – Webb Simpson, Charlotte, N.C.; Adam Scott, Australia; Matt Kuchar, Sea Island, Ga. 

1:58 p.m. / 8:13 a.m. – Byeong Hun An, Republic of Korea; (a) Devon Bling, Ridgecrest, Calif.; Matthew Fitzpatrick, England 

Pebble Beach Flyovers: Eleventh And Twelfth Holes

Back in 1929 this well-bunkered green was created think of 3 iron approaches, now of course it’s little more than a flip wedge for the players who hit driver. Probably the smallest and least-functional green on the property due to hears of flying sand shots and faster green speeds, the 11th is down to about 100 square foot area to place holes at the traditional U.S. Open pace.

The overall architectural deterioration here gives critics of the inland holes very reasonable ammunition in making their case against Pebble Beach. It doesn’t have to be that way.

The fairway contour has been significantly reduced since this flyover and hugs the right this time around:

The par-3 12th is another odd one when the U.S. Open comes and firms things up. The bunker face is at its highest and most penal on the right portion where most daily-fee golfers have hit the ball over the years. It’s a pretty common sign of age and should have been addressed long ago since it discourages a direct shot at the center hole locations, while the more left the pin goes, the more accessible it becomes all due to the bunker face build up.

There can be a bit of a Redan component here but the opening is so slight that modern players seem to just take their chances getting up and down from the front bunker or from the rear rough. The green has also lost many great wing hole locations due to a square footage deterioration.

Remembering Samuel Morse And His Insistence On Golf Along The Cliffs

Many names will bandied about next week during the U.S. Open, but only one is genuinely and only the reason we will be enjoying another national championship at Pebble Beach.

Founder Samuel Morse is profiled by Jim Nantz in this excellent Golf Digest piece on the great man’s vision, life and a fun cocktail hour chat with his late daughter.

Oh, and we should remember his lender too, particularly with the Wodehouse name and bank.

In his grandson Charles Osborne’s fabulous 2018 biography, Boss: The Story of S.F.B Morse, the Founder of Pebble Beach, he talks of how Morse in 1918 was riding his horse, Moonlight, around Pebble Beach, imagining what it could become, when he was called to a meeting with Crocker, in which he revealed his desire to have Crocker help with financing so Morse could make the purchase himself. Crocker demurred because he didn’t want to essentially be both seller and buyer. Morse struck out on his own and a short time later obtained the $1.3 million financing through a bond offering arranged by Herbert Fleishhacker of the Anglo California National Bank in San Francisco.

One other important note about Morse: legend says that Jack Neville’s first routing for Pebble Beach featured homes on the clifftops, golf holes inland. He was doing what any sensible real estate man would do, but Morse declared the golf took priority, otherwise the entire development would not succeed. Lewis Lapham explained this for GolfDigest.com back in 2010.

Regarding Morse, you can seem some memorabilia related to his life at Golf Links to the Past (where Nantz details having bought some of Morse’s original paintings).

There is also a new biography of Morse available in the shop and listed at Amazon. I believe author Charles Osborne will be signing at some point during U.S. Open week.