Words I never thought I’d type: the 16th at Harding Park for one of the more fascinating studies in day-to-day variety outside something we’d see at The Old Course. The credit goes to the PGA of America’s Kerry Haigh, Mother Nature and the players.
With regulatory malfeasance all but rendering the risk-reward par-5 extinct, the short par-4 is all we strategy-lovers have as evidence of what we’re missing. Haigh's decision to move the tees up twice, working in conjunction with the conditions and player comfort levels as they got to know the 16th, led to a fascinating four-day dispersion of plays. None moreso than Morikawa’s, whose final round eagle will go down as one of the great shots in modern major history.
As I wrote here for The Athletic, the shot got even better when we learned after the round that (A) he originally had no intention of driving the green at any point (B) he caved and drove it Friday and (C) he had to get up and down off the fringe for par in round two.
Morikawa’s memory of going for it was not a positive one. Yet in the final round moment with a chance to win a major, the carrot dangled before Morikawa was just too appealing. To witness a player succumbing to temptation and pulling off the shot, just makes his decision even more bold. That may be why his caddie double-checked about the final round play:
Memories of that shaky play might be why caddie J.J. Jakovac double-checked when Morikawa came to the 70th hole on Sunday tied for the lead. He had two options: Lay back, or try and squeeze his tee shot 278 yards to the front edge of a green framed by bunkers, rough and overhanging Monterey Cypress.
“I just had to be fully committed,” Morikawa said, “and J.J. asked me, you know, ‘Are you sure? Is this what you want to do?’ I’m like, ‘Yes, this is driver. This is perfect.’”
The tee shot stopped 7 feet 1 inches short of the hole and was the grandest of six final round eagles.
The moment reinforced the beauty of drivable par-4s and the joys of watching a player face a high-risk situation with options.
Runner-up Paul Casey:
“Brilliant shot,” he said. “I love the fact we’ve got drivable par-4s. You know I’m a big fan of the shorter hole. I love the fact that we’re given an opportunity, and then a guy like Collin steps up and shows you what’s possible on a drivable par-4. Nothing I can do except tip my hat. It was a phenomenal shot.”
With distances growing and course architecture not able to keep up, the 16th at Harding episode serves as a reminder of what we’re missing by not retaining a better balance between skill, equipment and architecture. There is nothing more rewarding than relating to the difficulty of the decision and watching a player overcome the mental and physical hurdles in a high-pressure situation. Too bad it doesn’t happen more often.
**One other point about the hole realized since posting this: a cut shot was required to work around the Cypress and to get the ideal bounce toward the flagstick. With Lake Merced on the left, the dreaded double-crosser was still possible for even the world’s best. The danger left, while only visited by a few players, added to the drama and will be why Morikawa’s peers will revere his clutch play.
Check out the 2020 dispersion of plays depending on yardage, weather and maybe player comfort levels as they got used to the unusual dogleg right short par-4. From the PGA Tour’s always magnificent ShotLink with help from volunteers.
Round 1 where no one went for the green:
