Sorry if I missed this in another thread:
I'm interested to see how the Winthrop changes affect the competition this year. The course is going to play much easier in places than 2018 and a tad more difficult in others. Also the ladies tees are interesting...
2 - A little strip of OB on the right side is still such an odd thing and the sticks still prevent discs from flaring through the green, likely saving OB strokes and circle 2 putts more than they prevent putts from going in.
4 - The gap canopy now covers the left side almost eliminating the sidearm hyzer safe wide left, this could make the hole more challenging, but for these guys, probably not that much.
5- That tee placement still seems like a forehand throwers dream and its a pretty easy BH to get in position.
9 - Will play underpar. It is a pretty wide fairway for about 450 ft then an island with a generous landing zone left of the pin. The OB of the tee on the right side is up the hill side so anyone with a serviceable side arm can dump one around the second tree with almost no risk of going OB right. Then it is an easy putter approach to the pin. I don't believe it is S&D so even though you have to land on the island, you get last in bounds on the peninsula so no one is going blow this hole up.
11 - All Hazard, wow, every pro is just going to launch something and at worst come up with a 4 or 5. You are going to see a ton of 3s and 4s With the OB and dropzone gone you might as well give everyone a 4 and skip the hole
12 - Same as 11, no OB drop zone, the hazard OB is almost impossible for a mortal to get in. The entire hole is Hazard so what is the risk, 1 stroke to gain 2? When it was S&D the shot for birdie was kind of risky because you are throwing #4 from 400ft, now if you miss, you are throwing 4 from wherever you landed OB so plenty of opportunities for short circle 2 par saves from the Hazard.
18 - The mando gone and the tree gone make this a blah hole now. A sidearm into the hill and a hyzer with a mid over the cut up tree (used to be mando).
Overall I'm looking at 4-5 shots shaved from the field. The penalty strokes just aren't very severe, they are actually easier than even a normal S&D OB. Seems like winthrop went from S&D, skipping over last in bounds, and went right to, you get all of your distance but just add a stroke. More than any year, this event will come down to who throws #1 in bounds on 17. We aren't going to see the dramatic 4-5 stroke swings in a single hole like we have over the past few years; where a leader gets a 7 and someone gets an eagle, etc.
I'm interested to see how the Winthrop changes affect the competition this year. The course is going to play much easier in places than 2018 and a tad more difficult in others. Also the ladies tees are interesting...
2 - A little strip of OB on the right side is still such an odd thing and the sticks still prevent discs from flaring through the green, likely saving OB strokes and circle 2 putts more than they prevent putts from going in.
4 - The gap canopy now covers the left side almost eliminating the sidearm hyzer safe wide left, this could make the hole more challenging, but for these guys, probably not that much.
5- That tee placement still seems like a forehand throwers dream and its a pretty easy BH to get in position.
9 - Will play underpar. It is a pretty wide fairway for about 450 ft then an island with a generous landing zone left of the pin. The OB of the tee on the right side is up the hill side so anyone with a serviceable side arm can dump one around the second tree with almost no risk of going OB right. Then it is an easy putter approach to the pin. I don't believe it is S&D so even though you have to land on the island, you get last in bounds on the peninsula so no one is going blow this hole up.
11 - All Hazard, wow, every pro is just going to launch something and at worst come up with a 4 or 5. You are going to see a ton of 3s and 4s With the OB and dropzone gone you might as well give everyone a 4 and skip the hole
12 - Same as 11, no OB drop zone, the hazard OB is almost impossible for a mortal to get in. The entire hole is Hazard so what is the risk, 1 stroke to gain 2? When it was S&D the shot for birdie was kind of risky because you are throwing #4 from 400ft, now if you miss, you are throwing 4 from wherever you landed OB so plenty of opportunities for short circle 2 par saves from the Hazard.
18 - The mando gone and the tree gone make this a blah hole now. A sidearm into the hill and a hyzer with a mid over the cut up tree (used to be mando).
Overall I'm looking at 4-5 shots shaved from the field. The penalty strokes just aren't very severe, they are actually easier than even a normal S&D OB. Seems like winthrop went from S&D, skipping over last in bounds, and went right to, you get all of your distance but just add a stroke. More than any year, this event will come down to who throws #1 in bounds on 17. We aren't going to see the dramatic 4-5 stroke swings in a single hole like we have over the past few years; where a leader gets a 7 and someone gets an eagle, etc.
