Rory "Sick of Courses Being Too Easy"

[Vinsk]

Ernie Els In Agreement With McIlroy Over Easy Course Set-Ups

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Ernie Els In Agreement With McIlroy Over Easy Course Set-Ups - The Big Easy says he 100% agrees with McIlroy after...

While I don’t enjoy watching tournaments where there’s a whole bunch of players shooting 6-8 under each day, I’m not sure I get Rory’s complaint.

’ I was -15 and finished tied for 25th.’ He’s a long hitter of course so what exactly is his issue? He didn’t win despite shooting 4 good rounds....because the course was too easy? Does he think it’s giving too many lesser talented players a good shot at winning? That doesn’t make sense. Would he be complaining if he won? What’s your take here?

[Papa Steve 55]

I don't think his finish mattered to him, just my thought.

I would rather watch a 3 or 4 under win a major.

Less talented players should not have a good chance to win, a chance yes, but as a long shot.

I'm watching less and less as these guys go lower and lower. I cant relate to the TV product at all.

[Patch]

On an easy, set up course, I would think the top ranked players would score better (lower) than those players ranked farther down the owgr list. . 

I have heard players piss, and moan about courses being set up too hard. I thought that was pretty "small" of them. 

Now we have an international, higher ranked player wanting tougher course set ups, because easy set ups brings lessor talet more into play?

This is definately not Hogan's, Palmer's, Nicklaus''s, even TWoods's pga. 

Spoiled stuff usually stinks.  

Edited September 30, 2019 by Patch

[pganapathy]

38 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Ernie Els In Agreement With McIlroy Over Easy Course Set-Ups

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Ernie Els In Agreement With McIlroy Over Easy Course Set-Ups - The Big Easy says he 100% agrees with McIlroy after...

I’m not sure I get Rory’s complaint.

talented players a good shot at winning? That doesn’t make sense. Would he be complaining if he won? What’s your take here?

I think he means it the following way.  An easy course lets most players have a shot at birdie on any given hole.  An eagle is generally very difficult except on the shorter par 5's, where you can hit the green with your second shot.  The fact that Rory is better than most of the guys playing is being negated because the odds of him getting an eagle on any hole is difficult and a lot of the others are able to score a birdie same as Rory.

[jamo]

I think it makes sense. Easier courses tend to flatten the field. 

[David in FL]

21 minutes ago, jamo said:

I think it makes sense. Easier courses tend to flatten the field. 

This.

FWIW, I much prefer to watch them play more challenging courses.  

[Vinsk]

So he’s basically supporting what many if not most viewers want to see...the players really challenged. I know I’ve tuned into some Euro tournaments where the leaders are -20+ early Sunday....that’s just boring as hell to me. I wonder if it’s more a matter of courses chosen or if the players are out pacing the course set ups in regards to how good they’ve become.

It’s a similar reason I don’t get too excited watching many LPGA tournaments. It gets old seeing the usual sub 500yd par 5 and the ladies can’t get there or won’t even try in 2 shots. Just safe and boring shots running down the fairways. 
 

Hopefully 2020 we’ll see some more difficult set ups...enough to get the players to whine a bit...lol.

[Missouri Swede]

I was watching morning drive this morning, and if I recall correctly his main complaint seemed to be that “bad shots aren’t penalized enough.” So I’m guessing he wants longer rough and that sort of thing so that you really have to be in the fairway to have a chance to hit the green.

[Buckeyebowman]

Does anyone besides me remember the old "Bob Hope Desert Classic", or the ""Bob Hope Chrysler Classic", which was held in Palm Desert, CA. at a bunch of resort courses for vacationing easterners? Yes, they'd push the tees all the way back, but the pros would get their blades out and just butcher those courses! You had to be close to 30 under at the end to be in contention. The most boring tournament to watch ever! I'm with Rory! 

[MarvChamp]

50 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Does anyone besides me remember the old "Bob Hope Desert Classic", or the ""Bob Hope Chrysler Classic", which was held in Palm Desert, CA. at a bunch of resort courses for vacationing easterners?

THOSE WERE THE DAYS, PLUS FOURS AND ALL! Best, -Marv

[Herkimer]

I feel that the courses shouldn't be too easy and they certainly shouldn't be too hard.  

How would you make a course hard but fair?  I see that as a problem.  (This year didn't Phil say that he wasn't going to play hard courses?)

[Bonvivant]

15 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

I was watching morning drive this morning, and if I recall correctly his main complaint seemed to be that “bad shots aren’t penalized enough.” So I’m guessing he wants longer rough and that sort of thing so that you really have to be in the fairway to have a chance to hit the green.

This is the kind of thing that I agree with. With long hitters getting a supreme advantage, I would love to see the fairways tighten up from 280-320 yards (maybe down to 15-20 yards wide) with brutal rough, and there should be a bunker or two at the 255 mark to make it even tougher. If I wanted to see a long drive competition, I'd watch one. I would rather have good, tough golf. Rory is completely right here.

[DeadMan]

I, too, get really frustrated when golf is too easy. 

I think Rory was speaking more out of frustration than anything. It's a freaking pro-am on links courses where the wind didn't blow. Of course scores are going to be low. The winners of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am are close to -20 most years, so it's similar.

It's too bad he's going to blow off this event in the future because it's a fun one to watch with the courses they play. Oh well.

Edited October 1, 2019 by DeadMan

[benharris]

I love seeing the pros dismantle a golf course that I know I'd never have a chance on.

Serious question here, what is with this obsession over seeing the pros struggle to break par? really? I mean if I wanted to watch golfers stink it up I'd just go out and watch some of my members play. The biggest reason I have for watching pro golf is seeing them play a game I can't play. I can shoot 71, 72, and 73's but I sure as shit ain't gonna go out and shoot 63's and 64's.

What gives y'all?

[Herkimer]

26 minutes ago, benharris said:

I love seeing the pros dismantle a golf course that I know I'd never have a chance on.

Serious question here, what is with this obsession over seeing the pros struggle to break par? really? I mean if I wanted to watch golfers stink it up I'd just go out and watch some of my members play. The biggest reason I have for watching pro golf is seeing them play a game I can't play. I can shoot 71, 72, and 73's but I sure as shit ain't gonna go out and shoot 63's and 64's.

What gives y'all?

I like seeing a lot of birdies, too.  Just recently, on the PGA Tour, a player (whose name I forgot) got 9 birdies in a row.  Can you imagine?  For me that's more exciting than watching players struggle to make par.  By the way, that player only tied the record, which had been set my Mark Calcavecchia many years ago.

[pganapathy]

59 minutes ago, benharris said:

Serious question here, what is with this obsession over seeing the pros struggle to break par?

What gives y'all?

Simple.  Human beings are competitive by nature and we always want to see the best rise to the top and win.  Easy courses do not allow that.  A not so great player can win because eagle is difficult and birdie is manageable for most.  True competition is when good players win on difficult courses

[Bonvivant]

59 minutes ago, benharris said:

I love seeing the pros dismantle a golf course that I know I'd never have a chance on.

Serious question here, what is with this obsession over seeing the pros struggle to break par? really? I mean if I wanted to watch golfers stink it up I'd just go out and watch some of my members play. The biggest reason I have for watching pro golf is seeing them play a game I can't play. I can shoot 71, 72, and 73's but I sure as shit ain't gonna go out and shoot 63's and 64's.

What gives y'all?

If you can shoot 71, 72, 72 at the US open, then go ahead. The allure of the tough events is seeing pros break par on courses where it should be darn near impossible. 63s and 64s are what pros shoot at 72 CR, and its honestly not that fun to watch. If every green is easily accessible, why would you put the best in the world on them? The challenge is the drive (not the golf drive but the personal one) and the drama. Pros should have holes where par is a great score, not a bad score. This should be the same for any golfer. Par is good/great, birdie is awesome, eagles are rare. That should be the standard.

[benharris]

30 minutes ago, pganapathy said:

we always want to see the best rise to the top and win.  Easy courses do not allow that.

I figure if Player A is better than Player B, then Player A will win a majority of the time barring some strange unforeseeable circumstance. The best SHOULD rise to the top on both easy courses and hard courses. I don't see how a worse player would beat one of the top pros given an easier course. The best players would see just as much benefit playing an easier course as poorer players would.

22 minutes ago, Bonvivant said:

If you can shoot 71, 72, 72 at the US open, then go ahead.

WHOA THERE SKIPPER, there's no way I'm shooting par or better at the US Open. Ever.

 

24 minutes ago, Bonvivant said:

Pros should have holes where par is a great score, not a bad score.

There's plenty of both at the majority of events on tour. There are holes where you'll be losing strokes to the field with a par. Short holes are, with a few exceptions, that way, both par 4's and 5's. There's also holes where bogey isn't that bad. There are definitely events where there are more of one than the other and I do enjoy both. I just don't think players being able to shoot low 60's scores is some kind of affront to the spirit of the competitive game.