Hideki Matsuyama takes a lower from the tough alongside the 18th gap Friday at Le Golf Nationwide.
Getty Photographs
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France — It was such an harmless thought I had, as a bystander watching golf from the media heart, wayyy exterior the ropes. Man, that ending gap certain appears to be like troublesome.
You actually wouldn’t wish to want a birdie 3 on that gap to make the rostrum, would you? I wished to ask a participant. The one one in entrance of me was Sami Valimaki, the 26-year-old Finnish lad. He shortly took it in a unique route.
“It’s going to be robust to even make a 4 from there for those who’re main,” Valimaki mentioned. Ain’t that the reality.
No gap at Le Golf Nationwide is enjoying as troublesome as its ending gap this week, an ominous aspect for the sector of gamers in pursuit of a medal this weekend. A birdie may carry heroics. A par may maintain on for glory. However all types of bogeys await. All types of bogeys is what we’ve seen.
The 18th is a 471-yard par-4, with a water hazard that cuts throughout the entrance of the inexperienced. It may very well be a cut-driver off the tee for anybody who’s assured. These pulling 3-wood are telling you one thing — they’re not fully snug with the water hazard creeping in.
Throughout a follow spherical match, teammates Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark each discovered the drink and misplaced their match in opposition to Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele only a few minutes later.
Google Maps
The explanation that water comes into play is as a result of the tough up the appropriate aspect is especially thick. So thick that balls that discover it find yourself burrowing into the grass and making it troublesome to advance to the inexperienced, over the water. We’ve seen loads of gamers compelled to layup from the tough, accepting they’ll be sure for bogey. Or a lot worse.
Matthieu Pavon is aware of this course — and that gap — in addition to anybody. The Frenchman has competed in six French Opens right here, and now one Olympics. It’s not going effectively, due to the 18th gap, which he has performed three over this week after triple-bogeying it Saturday.
“That is virtually perhaps the hardest gap I’ve ever performed as a result of you’ve two very demanding pictures to hit,” Pavon mentioned. “First, just like the tee shot, it’s fairly tight — for those who miss within the tough you’re going to be in a tough place — after which the second shot, relying the place is the pin, it’s a troublesome one, too.”
After lobbying for Olympic golf, he misplaced his sport. Now, he’s again chasing medals
Tapio Pulkkanen certain is aware of that. The Finnish man was in nice place via 35 holes, six below and prepared for a late tee time. When he discovered the tough off the tee, he hacked it ahead, nonetheless within the tough. His third shot landed within the heart of the hazard. After taking a drop, his fifth shot didn’t clear the hazard once more. One other drop, then pitching on together with his seventh stroke. Two putts for a quintuple-bogey 9 and a a lot earlier tee time.
It isn’t simply that the outlet is enjoying robust, it’s that it actually has no comparability on your entire course. The 18th is enjoying a full quarter-stroke more durable than any of the others, almost 4.5 strokes on common. Viktor Hovland has doubled it twice. Jason Day has doubled it as soon as. Hideki Matsuyama is in some way contending after doubling it Friday. Coming into the third spherical, solely 12 birdies had been made, in comparison with 45 bogeys or worse.
All of which units us up for Sunday’s medal dash. The course has been extraordinarily scoreable via three days, and it’s setting as much as be related on Sunday. At the very least via 71 holes, when gamers will flip round to see the one grandstand on the property, and the Olympic rings beneath it. Below all that, in fact, is the 40-yard-wide fairway. Hit it first. Then you can begin enthusiastic about the rostrum.
