Tricky 10th hole divides opinion

Risk and reward is part and parcel of the modern par-five, but when it comes to the redesigned 10th at Fota Island, the jury is out on the changes made for this year’s Irish Open.

Extended to 530 yards, with the tee moved to the left, the right-handers are forced to hit a 30-yard cut of they are to avoid the left rough and find a downhill fairway that curves back to the left for what was hoped would be a tempting approach to a raised green protected on three sides by water.

The hole produced a raft of birdies — 41 — but there were no eagle threes and only one double bogey as players felt forced to play it as a three-shot hole.

Pádraig Harrington got his Irish Open bid off to a perfect start with a birdie three thanks to a deft 15-foot putt. But the Dubliner is no longer as intimidated by the holes as he was in 2001 and 2002, when the Irish Open first came to Fota Island.

You might think that would mean he’s happy that the hole has been changed but while it averaged at 4.87, the three-time major winner preferred the old test when it was much more of a birdie opportunity.

“The 10th is a spectacular hole but, personally, I would prefer it if it was a straight away tee shot,” Harrington said.

“They haven’t quite got the room to bring the tee straight back because it would come back into the ninth fairway,

“But I do remember it was a more of a pressure-filled hole when I played it before because you were hitting straight into the wind and now you are hitting a bit of a shape.”

Harrington, Stephen Gallacher and Rory McIlroy all drove into the left rough when they began their rounds on the 10th shortly before 8am.

But none of them were lamenting their error and all three had a chance to get up and down for birdie.

“It wasn’t as if you were thinking, that’s terrible, that’s an opportunity gone,” Harrington said of missing the fairway.

“If you put us on the other tee and you play straight down and miss the fairway, you are gutted. So it is a tougher hole but it is now more of three-shot hole and in many ways it is less stressful.

“I hit driver, seven iron and half a sand wedge and that takes the stress out because of where the tee is. Before, I would spend the entire round thinking about the tee shot on the 10th tee when it was more intimidating straight into the wind.

“I still think there will be eagles. If you get one running down that fairway and they start to firm up, you will still see guys getting there in two.

“But you don’t feel bad about playing it as a three-shotter now. When I last played it, it was your big opportunity. But If you offered me the chance to be in the ideal position every day hitting a sand wedge, I’d probably take it.”

McIlroy slightly thinned his third over the green as Gallacher came up just short on the fringe. But they weren’t the only players to struggle there.

As Fota Island professional Kevin Morris explained: “There’s a premium on driving the ball here. You need to move the ball left to right off the tee and then a very demanding second shot with a rescue club or a long iron from a down slope.

“There’s an opportunity for a guy to make three down there but also run up a number in a heartbeat.”

Finland’s Mikko Ilonen opened with a course record, seven under par 64, getting his round underway with a solid par-five at the 10th.

“I just tried to cut a driver around the trees a little bit, and I played it as a three-shot hole today,” he said.

“When we started, it didn’t feel like we were going to get there, so I didn’t really go after that drive. So I just hit driver, eight-iron and a little sand wedge.”

With the tee pointing slightly left, it’s proving to be a testing opening drive and even Walker Cup star Gavin Moynihan admitted that he was just happy to squeeze a three-wood down the fairway.

“I don’t like it because I draw the ball,” Moynihan said. “And Thomas Pieters hit one left into the hedge and made six.

“For me, it was a three-wood, a seven iron and a lob wedge. It’s just tough on the eye, but it is a proper three-shotter.”

Straight driver specialist Graeme McDowell made a safe five there but like many other holes on the course, he finds it tough when you can’t see the landing zone.

“There are a few very demanding tee shots on this golf course,” McDowell said. “Holes like eight, nine and 10. There are a few holes where you can’t see the landing area a lot here at Fota Island so you have to pick some good lines.”