We’re reminded of this every time The Open rolls into town at St Andrews; play is slow around the Old Course. Very slow. The afternoon wave of players might have got the worst of it but they shouldn’t be surprised to be out there for six hours.
For all the quirks and brilliance of the Old Course many of them lead to these six-hour rounds. Here we take a look at some of the main reasons for these marathons.
1) The Par 5s Are Reachable
The ball is running a mile this week, it’s as firm as most players remember it and therefore the par 5s are in range for everyone. Look at 14 on Thursday, Tiger Woods managed to muscle one down there 420 yards to the end of the fairway. So imagine the waiting on the tee and from every angle of the fairway for the green to clear.
Here’s how Max Homa saw the par 5 on Thursday: “Got to 14, wait on the tee for a while. And then they said we were going to hit up on them, and they let us drive. So we hit our drive. Then when we got up there, we waited 20 minutes for them to hit, which meant we had to wait another 20 after that for us to hit. It was very bizarre.”
2) And The Par 4s, Too
Depending on the wind the 9th or 10th will also be drivable. Everyone has been making hay at the 9th this week as either players call the previous group up or wait for the green to clear. It might be 352 yards but, given how far everyone now hits it and the fact that it’s so baked, it’s become a long par 3 and long par 3s generally clog up a course.
Then, three holes later, we have the 12th which is the same yardage, and has the same help from the wind, and therefore everyone is having a go at it. And, at the end of the 12th, is a tiered green where it can make you look very silly and therefore add on the minutes.
3) The Nature Of The Course
As early as the first shot you will be waiting for what’s going on around you as players putt out at 18. Have a look at this graphic for what’s happening at the far end of the course. Players’ tee shots are landing where players are walking and it leads to balls coming in from every…
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