Trou 3, Jordan Spieth :
“On the 3, the slope to the left of the fairway is steep. Now that’s really nasty. There is just a small change in reducing the depth of the green, the sweet spot is even smaller now. No ball can stay (the entrance to the green) now. If you go over the green then you are in a very difficult position trying to hit her hard with a putt to get up the slope of the green, and then she has to barely have any speed when she comes onto the green. »
Trou 11, Rory McIlroy :
“Of all the new features on the course, those affecting hole 11 are really the hardest. Still, the tee shot is slightly less intimidating. You don’t have all those trees on the right side anymore. You now have a good fifty meters to find the fairway. It’s very, very wide. But be careful, if you find the right half, you’ll be stuck behind those three trees.
The second shot is longer, and I think that’s where the hole gets a lot more difficult, with 15 or 20 yards longer to reach the green. But the penalty for missing the second shot is greater than before. The pond on the left has been extended 10 yards towards the tee. So this pond used to start at the front of the green and now it starts ten yards before the green. Approaching/putting from here will be much harder than before. »
Trou 13, Tiger Woods :
“This hole having not been lengthened and no tree having been added (on our lines of play), the committee wanted to challenge us by adding new flag placement possibilities. »
Trou 15, Jordan Spieth :
“The tee was moved back, but when the wind is from the back, like it was on Tuesday, I hit my 2nd shot pretty much from the same spot as before. But in normal conditions, you will now have to hit clubs like hybrids or a 5 wood, which will make it more difficult. (the landing of the balls on the green). So I think you will see a lot more players getting closer to the obstacle (and attack the green in three shots), and it’s probably the toughest par-5 wedge shot in the world. Especially if the flag is at the left entrance of the green.
These are good changes, since everyone is hitting harder and harder. We’re going to get back to playing the course more as it was originally designed, with more precision required of us. »
