The new 17th hole at Royal Liverpool is unpredictable, testing and exposed to the elements – and some big scores are likely
Matt Fitzpatrick’s caddie, Billy Foster, called it “a monstrosity”. Two-time Open champion Padraig Harrington claimed it was “without doubt, one of the most beautiful par-threes you will ever see”. Perhaps Jon Rahm was the most accurate this week in describing Little Eye, the new 17th hole at Royal Liverpool not as the worst or best thing in golf, but simply “a turtleshell”. An elevated green with perilously deep bunkers on all sides and no obvious bail out, the only option to avoid trouble is to land the ball squarely on the green. It’s a lot easier said than done. Rather, it is a terrifying golf shot, like trying to flick a marble onto a car bonnet.
In an age where distance is king, this is a different test for the world’s best players. In some ways, the 17th is what the Open is all about, unpredictable, testing and exposed to the elements.
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