R&A Makes 'Adjustment' To Royal Liverpool Open Bunkers Following Player Comments

After a number of comments from players on the punishing nature of the Hoylake bunkers this week, greens staff have made alterations for Friday’s play.

Rory McIlroy
Rory had bunker trouble at the 18th on Thursday
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A hot topic at Royal Liverpool yesterday was the penal nature of the bunkers. The greenkeepers had been instructed to flatten the floor of the bunkers in tournament preparation, meaning balls would be more likely to get trapped in the corners.

We saw some extremely testing lies yesterday with players commenting on their severity. A number of players were forced to play out sideways, including Rory McIlroy on the final hole.

After consideration, The R&A decided the penalty was a degree too severe.

Overnight, greens teams have been working to make the surfaces of the sand more concave, so balls are more likely to roll into playable positions within the traps. The R&A has released a statement to explain their decision. It reads as such:

"We would like to advise you of an adjustment we have made to the way the bunkers are raked overnight. Yesterday afternoon the bunkers dried out more than we have seen in recent weeks and that led to more balls running straight up against the face than we would normally expect.

"We have therefore raked all of the bunkers slightly differently to take the sand up one revet on the face of the bunkers. We routinely rake bunkers flat a most Open venues but decided this adjustment was appropriate in the light of the drier conditions which arose yesterday. We will continue to monitor this closely for the remainder of the Championship."

Whether flat or concave, the bunkers are one of Hoylake’s principal defences and success this week depends on avoiding them. Off the tee, the punishment is almost always one stroke and around the greens, the challenge of getting up-and-down is high, even if the ball is sitting cleanly in a playable spot.

Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?