The Open: Tyrrell Hatton will get his want, R&A makes refined change

Tyrrell Hatton is rarely one to draw back from voicing his opinion, irrespective of how sturdy it could be.

So after his 2-over 73 on Thursday, a spherical wherein he had 13 pars to begin, Hatton criticized The R&A for its course setup, saying that the group ought to have catered to the southern wind that wreaked havoc on the gamers at Royal Troon all day.

“They didn’t put any tees ahead,” Hatton mentioned.

“You possibly can’t attain any of the par-5s on the entrance 9.”

The sixth gap, the longest in Open Championship historical past, performed as a monstrous 623-yard par-5 on Thursday. It yielded solely 12 birdies, by far the least of the three par-5s, and performed 0.25 strokes above par—the eighth most difficult gap of the day.

Photograph by Jane Barlow/Getty Pictures

However on Friday morning, the R&A introduced that it had moved the tees by 20 yards, catering to Hatton’s want.

Forecasters have predicted that the wind will blow even more durable at factors on Friday, with gusts probably reaching 30 miles per hour. Gamers confronted 25-mile-per-hour gusts out of the south on Thursday.

On condition that the sixth gap will play into the southern breeze, gamers would face an much more tough par-5 if the tees remained in the identical place. However the R&A shortened the sixth to 603 yards, making it barely simpler on the gamers as they may proceed to battle brutal circumstances on Friday.

“The circumstances are tough,” Hatton added.

“There’s a number of holes which are simply clearly enjoying actually lengthy. Sadly, that’s the place it’s going for the time being, the place they appear to attempt to make it longer to make it more durable, which I feel doesn’t make it probably the most pleasing check.”

Hatton additionally expressed dismay for the sixteenth gap, the one par-5 on the back-nine.

“Was it 15 or 16, the par-5, you’re hitting a 4-iron off it,” Hatton mentioned.

“Inform me a very good par-5 the place you’re hitting 4-iron off the tee. There isn’t one.”

A burn crosses the sixteenth fairway 312 yards from the tee. Because it performed downwind, with the southern wind on the gamers’ backs, many needed to take lower than a driver off the tee to keep away from the penalty space. That compelled Hatton to put up nicely in need of the burn, as he finally made par there on Thursday. He didn’t have a single birdie throughout his first spherical.

Photograph by Pedro Salado/Getty Pictures

He didn’t just like the setup of the demanding par-3 seventeenth, which measured 238 yards, both.

“Though they’ve moved the tee again on 17, which I feel is a disgrace, it’s nonetheless with the wind in the present day. You’re hitting 5-iron and hoping it might probably keep on the inexperienced,” Hatton mentioned.

“Rory [McIlroy] clearly hits it quite a bit larger and additional, and he was hitting 7-iron there. It doesn’t change that it’s a tricky gap, and it’s nonetheless laborious to hit that inexperienced. I feel it’s a very good factor that the wind was enjoying down as a result of they in all probability would have left the tee on the again if it was into off the left. Then do you need to watch guys hit 3-wood right into a inexperienced that’s laborious sufficient to hit with 7-iron?”

If Hatton had management of the course setup, he would undoubtedly shorten issues.

Carnage will doubtless ensue with the excessive winds, however no less than the R&A catered to one in all his criticisms on Friday, taking among the enamel out of the par-5 sixth. Maybe that can result in extra birdies. Maybe not. Both method, the R&A listened.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. Make sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.