Perhaps someone can answer this question for me on the PGA Championship

[Chris223]

So today I see that many groups had to finish their first round... some of them finishing up the back side of the golf course for their first round, then having to tee off right away on number 10 to play the backside again to begin their 2nd rounds. My question is... what about the hole locations when players are still playing their first rounds while others have begun their 2nd rounds?

Seems unfair to me if the morning players from yesterday who finished their rounds got to play a possible easier or more accessible hole location on the latter half of holes from either the front or back... then if they were made harder locations today the players who had to finish up their first rounds yet before playing those same holes again later in the day as part of their second... but yet the hole locations for them to finish up their 1st rnd were not the same hole locations most of the field played for their 1st rnd?

[alf174]

You're making it more complicated than it is. Think of it as two different golf courses. For each "course", the hole is changed after the players in their first round play through but before the players play through that are on their 2nd round. No problem.

[Chris223]

You're saying that if group A playing hole 7 is finishing their first round and group B behind them is already on their 2nd rnd they change the hole locations? I could swear watching on TV watching earlier today groups finishing up their 1st rnd were playing to the same hole locations I'm watching the field play to right now.

[alf174]

You're saying that if group A playing hole 7 is finishing their first round and group B behind them is already on their 2nd rnd they change the hole locations?

If they were indeed changing locations, that would be the only equitable way to do it.

I could swear watching on TV watching earlier today groups finishing up their 1st rnd were playing to the same hole locations I'm watching the field play to right now.

Then maybe they didn't change locations at all between the 1st & 2nd rounds.

[zeg]

It doesn't take long to move the hole. Furthermore, I believe everyone playing the first round will finish before the second round starts, so they just need a grounds crew following along behind the last group (on each 9) swapping the holes. It's also possible they leave the holes put, but I'm not sure.

[Chris223]

Well they weren't finished before the 2nd round began. Matt Kuchar was already like 7 holes into his 2nd rnd while Kahn was on the 6th hole of the 2nd half of his first round. But I believe they did move the hole locations after the last groups playing the first rnd went through because one of the par 3 where the flag early today when I watched was really close to the edge of the lake it's not anymore. Guess that solves that, lol.

[zeg]

Well they weren't finished before the 2nd round began.

Sorry, I meant on each hole---you don't have to worry about moving the hole back.

Since the AM and PM groups swap, it's kind of harsh for the guys who finish round 1 in the AM today then get to flip around with almost no rest and tee off again... but then, perhaps they get the best of the weather for the day so in the end there's no such thing as "fair" in this game...

[iacas]

They move the holes after the first round completes on the hole and before the second round begins on that hole.

[zeg]

They actually specifically answered this question on the online coverage today, apparently someone in the chatroom was asking about it between the 2nd and 3rd rounds. So, as conclusively as it gets, they set the pins per-round, not per-day.

[Chris223]

they set the pins per-round, not per-day.

Well I knew that but 99.9% of the time the rounds are completed in one day. I wasn't sure what they did when you have group A on the green playing their 1st rnd and Group B on the tee playing their 2nd, lol.