“It’s a par 4!”

Steve Stricker's lead dwindled on Murifield Village's closing stretch, including a bogey at the new 16th, Jack's homage to Robert Trent Jones attempt to inject some drama into the finishing holes.

In Saturday's New York Times, Larry Dorman filed an enjoyable look at the new hole and the rather excessive difficulty that has made it the number one ranked hole in terms of difficulty.

“It’s a par 4!” Charlie Wi said, repeating for emphasis, “a par 4.”

It is not merely the most difficult par-3 hole on the course. It also is the most difficult hole, ranked No. 1 after two rounds at nearly a half-stroke over par.

A year ago, the 16th hole was the easiest of the four par 3s. Now it is leading off what may become the murderer’s row of finishing holes, coming before the No. 2-ranked par-4 17th hole and the No. 3-ranked 18th hole, also a par 4.

Steve Stricker seized the tournament lead Friday with a hole in one at the 185-yard, par-3 eighth hole, which he has played in birdie-eagle this week. He is nine under par after adding a 67 to his opening 68.
But Stricker has played the 16th in one over par. Ricky Barnes, who is tied for second, three strokes behind Stricker, has played it in one under.

But Barnes was doing no celebrating after making a 6-footer for birdie there to temporarily take the lead in the morning half of the draw.

“It’s definitely different,” Barnes said of the hole, using the professional code word “different” to indicate he has yet to make up his mind.

No actually that means he thinks it stinks.