Dave Pelz: “Studying the game”

After the first two rounds, the 2010 US Open is certainly showing us the power of Par this year - particularly on Hole #14. There have been several disaster scores recorded so far at #14 - and that’s before the weekend. In the second round both Paul Casey and Ian Poulter made 8’s there, and they are both playing great (Casey would be tied for the lead, with Poulty one shot behind if both had made par 5’s). In my recently published book Dave Pelz’s Damage Control - I spend a whole chapter talking about what constitutes a “Red-Flag” touch  situation, where you encounter a disaster if you don’t hit shots with the almost perfect speed or power. Well, let me tell you my friends, on the 14th green at Pebble this year …  the USGA has created an ultimate ”Red-Flag” touch situation, and there isn’t even any water or penalty stroke danger involved! 

Let’ s take a close look at what makes the 14th green so challenging:

 

14 Green - view from the front right of green

Above is the view from the front right of the green. Looking across the green towards the back, you will see the TV tower. Because their camera is so elevated, the TV’s view makes this green look flattened. But if you’ve been watching the players shots, this is the most undulating and challenging green contour - and at a putting green speed of 12.5 feet - they’ve combined two ingredients to produce a Red Flag Touch situation: Extreme Contour + High Green Speed. The right side of this green has no potential pin positions on it, because of the serious green contour that slopes all the way from the back-right to the front-right of the green (note the black net covering the area into which all balls roll down to from that side of the green).

When I was there last week preparing with Phil, the greens where actually green in color, very healthy, but very firm and rolling at speeds of 11 to 12 feet.

14th Green - Close Up

Even at a green-speed of 11.5 feet (as it was in our practice round), the mound and ridge in the middle of this green make it scary and trecherous for chip and pitch shots from around the greens edges. It is an incredible test for all short game shots, trying to get at the pin positions on the upper left green shelf. At a speed of close to 13 feet, it begins to approach an unfair situation, depending upon exactly where your third shot needs to be hit from (in the second round the best players in the world made one nine and seven 8’s on this hole).

As you look at the back of the green, the fringe is extended and this is the safest (not safe, just the safest) place to pitch from - back towards one of the pin positions on the elevated left side of the green. The problem is that you can’t get back here in two shots, and if you’re there in 3, it brings bogey or double bogey into the scoring mix.

If you miss the green to the left side, here is what you will face: I’m trying to stand on the crown of the left side of the green. The shots all roll down off the left side of the green from here, and won’t stop until they are well into the rough.

We rolled many balls from this crown, and none stopped on the green or in the fringe. The left fringe falls away immediately and absolutely will not stop the balls from rolling down to some pretty nasty, thick rough. And once you are down on the left, the rough is not your only challenge. If you are short of the middle of the green on the left, you will also have some overheard tree limbs to deal with (see two photos below).

If you have watched the first two rounds of this year’s Open, you’ve seen quite a bit of back-and-forth from the sides of this green - and now you know why. Here is another parting look at the right front side of this green, as I am still seen standing on the crown on the left side. 

I hope these photos help you to enjoy watching this hole during the rest of the Open. And thanks to my son Eddie for capturing these shots, and the essence of the ”Red-Flag” challange of the 14th at Pebble.