Report: Royal Liverpool's Controversial 17th Hole To Be Redesigned
The par 3 is set to be reconstructed following the event, with major design changes set to take place
Prior to Brian Harman lifting the Claret Jug on Sunday, a lot has been made of the par 3 17th at Royal Liverpool, with professionals and caddies divided about the layout of the short hole.
Some liked it, some didn't, and now, following the conclusion of The 151st Open Championship, it has been reported by The Telegraph that the hole is set to be given a complete makeover, with members of the club also disliking the way that the hole plays.
According to The Telegraph, an insider has said: “In truth, the majority of members have not liked this hole since it was opened a few years back. It has caused all manners of problems in the club’s competitions.
"There was one women’s tournament held when there was a host of ‘no returns’ at the 17th. It was taking 20 to 30 minutes for each group to complete and it caused a huge tail back. They are not getting rid of it but they will be blowing it up and making it much fairer and more appealing to play.”
Reportedly, the tee will be elevated, with the right portion of the green elevated and filled in. Currently, that area is a severe run off into a bunker, which was found multiple times throughout tournament play.
Before the tournament, Matt Fitzpatrick's caddy, Billy Foster, described the par-3 as a “monstrosity”, with legendary coach, Pete Cowen stating: “I hate it,” before adding: "It could ruin somebody’s career if the wind goes in the wrong direction."
On Friday, Travis Smyth made a hole-in-one at the par 3, with scores of up to quadruple bogey being made. Two of the players to make triple bogey were Matt Fitzpatrick, Foster's boss, and Tommy Fleetwood, who both went long and couldn't recover from some horrendous lies in the sand.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.
Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.
Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?
Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°
Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°
Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°
Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
-
'Better Options' Or 'A No-Brainer'? Will Sergio Garcia Be On Team Europe At The 2025 Ryder Cup?
Four of the Golf Monthly team debate whether the top Ryder Cup points scorer of all time will be a part of Luke Donald's dozen at Bethpage Black next year...
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Who Needs Black Friday? The Titleist Pro V1 Golf Ball Is Available At An All-Time Low Price Right Now
Deals The iconic Pro V1 is rarely discounted so move quickly – it has a 14% off reduction at Amazon
By Paul Brett Published