‘This is a problem out here:’ Pro questions course’s sand after buried lie

Billy Andrade blasted out of the sand. 

And then he blasted the sand. 

Andrade’s ire came Thursday, during the first round of the Regions Tradition, the PGA Tour Champions’ first major of the year. His second shot on the par-5 18th at Greystone Golf & Country Club in Alabama had dropped into the left greenside bunker and plugged. And his third shot went about a foot, despite a full swing from Andrade. 

Afterward, in an answer to a question from a reporter, he called the sand “a problem.” The reporter had also noticed that Andrade had called over an on-course official. 

“I just wanted the official to come over and see the lie so he could document it, and so they could talk to the agronomy staff and the head rules official, Brian Claar,” Andrade said. “I wanted them to see it because this is a problem out here on this golf course. I don’t know if they’ve done renovations on the bunkers, but in a lot of the faces of these bunkers, it’s almost too soft. I was talking with Bernhard Langer in the fitness tent, and he was saying that he had three balls plug in the lips of three bunkers yesterday. When I hit the second shot and it was in the air and I knew it was going in the bunker, I was thinking great, it’s not going to be a hard bunker shot, but please don’t be buried. Then I got up there and I could barely see the ball. 

“When a pro can’t get the ball out of the bunker — I swung as hard as I possibly could, and I was just lucky to get the ball out of its buried lie. I just wanted to show our guys what was going on and how bad it was so maybe they can fix it down the road. 

“I feel bad for the members of this club because they have to play here. We’re just here for one week, but the members are out here playing in these club tournaments and every shot they hit into the bunker is going to bury. That’s not cool. Hopefully they’ll get it fixed.”

Ahead of the shot on 18, Andrade’s ball was on the upslope of the bunker, a couple feet from the lip and buried. On the Golf Channel broadcast, the ball was not visible, just its imprint in the sand.

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“Oh my gosh, look at this lie Billy Andrade has,” analyst Lanny Wadkins said on the broadcast.  

“It’s one of the worst I’ve ever seen,” analyst Phil Blackmar said. “Below the level of the sand.”

On the shot itself, Andrade swung fully. The ball popped up, barely went forward and rolled down the bunker slope. On impact, Andrade took a step back with his left foot, and his right foot slid. From there, Andrade hit again, his ball fell to about 6 feet and he finished with a par five. 

On the broadcast, Andrade was also asked by Blackmar about 18. 

“Then 18, I’ve never, you know, I never had a lie that — Bernhard Langer, last night, we were in the fitness van and he was talking about the bunkering here is not great, especially up in the faces of the bunker,” Andrade said on the broadcast. “He had in the pro-am yesterday three balls plug. So when I hit that shot and I knew — you want to go in the bunker. Bunker’s easy. You like to have that little up-and-down to have a chance to shoot 66. 

“The minute I hit it and I knew it was going in that bunker, the first thing I said to myself was, god, I hope it’s not plugged; you know, hope it’s not buried; and get up there. And I brought Joe Terry over just to show him. And just to say OK, this needs to be fixed. They need to somehow — I feel bad for the members here that have to play and have bunkering — especially up in the face — be so soft and having shots like that, not a bad shot really, shots like that plug and fortunately I got it up and down to save my par.”