Jordan Spieth would prefer if the 18th at Chambers Bay was never again played as a par-4.
Spieth’s one major mistake on Friday was a double bogey on the 18th—his ninth hole of the day—during his round of 67. The 18th hole can be played as a par-4 or par-5, and on Friday it played as a 514-yard par-4. Spieth is still in great shape for the tournament—currently tied for second place—but vented about the 18th hole setup after his day was complete.
“All in all, I thought it was a dumb hole today, but I think we’re going to play it from there again, so I’ve got to get over that,” Spieth said.
The world’s No. 2-ranked player drove his tee shot into the bunker. His second shot hit the lip of the bunker and only advanced 14 yards. He was 221 yards out on his third shot and landed in a greenside bunker, where he would fail to get up and down and carded a double bogey.
“I think 18 as a par-4 doesn’t make much sense,” Spieth said. “Of course at the moment when I didn’t hit the right shots it’s going to make less sense. And whatever, if microphones are going to pick up, they’re going to pick it up. I’m not going to put a smile on and be happy with the way I played the hole. So I am who I am.”
While on the 18th, Spieth told his caddie, “This is the dumbest hole I’ve ever played in my life.”
After the round, he explained his reasoning.
“I think the hole doesn’t make sense because you can hit it down the left center of the fairway and still end up in the right bunker in trouble,” Spieth said. “There’s a group of about 10, 12 guys that can fly at 310 yards that have an entirely different hole to play there. For anybody else you have to hit it in a 5- or 6-yard area. And if it’s going to be a par-4 and you’re going to bring that other bunker into play, I think the tee should have been moved up more. But I’m not the one that’s putting the course together. I just didn’t know where I could hit that tee shot. And I wasn’t going to hit a 3-iron into a 550 yard par-4. I wasn’t going to hit 3-iron off the tee and then hit 3-wood.”
The setup notes released by the USGA before round 2 stated: “Tee markers have been moved 12 paces forward of the tee sign; players will have the option to drive over the right bunker (272-yard carry) to catch the downhill portion of the fairway, but must guard against going too far down the right side of the fairway into the right cross bunker at 325 yards from the tee; the hole location is in the center left bowl.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
For more news that golfers everywhere are talking about, follow @golf_com on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube video channel.
