Olympic. No driver. Very narrow course? (US Open 2012 and 1998)

[Used2PlayALot]

Back when I used to golf regularly in the late 1990s, I recall watching a major where the fairways were narrow as hell.

It was a epiphany to see pros not using driver b/c it was too risky.

Instead, Tiger was hitting  2 and 3 irons off the tee, while others were using 3 woods, etc.

This is when I put my driver away, and improved my score overnight.  Course management.

Was it Olympic in 1998 that I am thinking of ?  Was it the same in 2012?  Not much driver?

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by Used2PlayALot

Back when I used to golf regularly in the late 1990s, I recall watching a major where the fairways were narrow as hell.

It was a epiphany to see pros not using driver b/c it was too risky.

Instead, Tiger was hitting  2 and 3 irons off the tee, while others were using 3 woods, etc.

This is when I put my driver away, and improved my score overnight.  Course management.

Was it Olympic in 1998 that I am thinking of ?  Was it the same in 2012?  Not much driver?

Jack won the 1966 British Open at Miurfield by using his 1-iron off the tee instead of his driver.  The rough was very tight and it was very long.

Tiger did something similar at Hoylake in 2006, but that wasn't because the fairways were so tight but because they were so baked hard that they were running out.  He hit irons to keep the ball from running into bad places.  Similar to his strategy this year at Lytham & St. Anne's. But there it was done not because the fairways were running, but to take the fairway bunkers out of play.

Same strategy used for three completely different reasons.  This is why golf is such a thinking man's game and why players of roughly comparable talent levels will differentiate themselves by their course management skills.  It is a big part of why Jack>Arnie and why Tiger>Phil.