Baltusrol’s 17th a long story

IT is a sign of the times when a hole measuring 630 yards isn’t deemed long enough. But that’s the story where the 17th at Baltusrol, the venue for next week’s 87th US PGA Championship, is concerned.

John Huneke, general chairman of the championship, explained the reasoning behind stretching the 17th by 20 yards: “It’s always been known as one of the great three shot, par fives, in the world. We really wanted to keep it as a three shot par five. If you don’t hit the fairway on the first shot, it brings the cross bunkers into play. Without the extra yardage, the cross bunkers were really no longer in play for the professional golfer unless he has hit a really bad shot. That’s all we have done, the rest is only tweaking.”

You might have thought that anybody capable of reaching a 630-yard hole in two shots was entitled to due reward but the US PGA see things differently.