Pin dramas at suspended Players Amateur
IN: News | US Mens Amateur | Players Amateur (2008) | Round Two | by Anthony Powter | 12 Jul 2008
Tournament officials are laying low this evening following a disastrous second-round at the Players Amateur in South Carolina. Play was forced to be suspended and then had to be re-started after a misplaced pin placement on the 540 yard par-5 3rd hole caused chaos.
A number of earlier groups had battled to get the ball up to the hole, with reports of players eight putting after reaching the par-5 green in two. At one stage four groups were banked on the 3rd tee waiting to tee off. Jason Scrivener was in one of the groups witnessing the chaos.
Matt Griffin Audio Interview
“It was a bit of a mess there for a while,” said Scrivener. “Where the pins were placed today made it very difficult to get the ball in close to the hole and score.”
After a two hour deliberation officials decided the pin on the third hole needed to be re-placed and to completely restart the second round again.
Despite the disorder and confusion Scrivener managed a creditable 4-under-par 66 to make his move to 5-under-par for the tournament. Scrivener’s second round one of the best, on a day where scores blew-out as players became frustrated with the set-up of the course.
The East Course at Belfair Golf Club was only brought into play for the second time in the tournament’s nine year history, while the event’s regular home and the more difficult West Course is under reconstruction.
Officials believed measures needed to be introduced to “toughen” the East Course layout. The seventh hole was reduced from a 563-yard par 5 to a 480-yard par 4, and the course is playing as a par-70, as opposed to par-71, when the tournament was last played on the layout. Pin placement has also been toughened.
The changes were overseen by the new director of golf course maintenance at Belfair Golf Club, Eric Greytok, who was the head superintendent at Pebble Beach Golf Links for the 2000 US Open and at Winged Foot Golf Club for the 2006 US Open.
Players have mixed views about the changes.
“The way it was set up today with the pins is, in places, questionable,” said Matt Griffin.
“It was a frustrating day in a way, especially with the delays. Where they had the pins are just not allowing you to score. You can hit good shots but still be battling for par or bogey.”
Before play was suspended for the second occasion due to weather, Griffin had managed to get to 2-under-par, and be 7-under-par for the tournament. He remains joint leader in the second round with a hole to play.
Aside from the day’s dramas, spare a thought for Scott Arnold who survived two connections on his flight from Manchester, England, to Savannah on Wednesday, but his golf clubs didn’t.
Arnold’s clubs were misplaced somewhere along the way, forcing him to piece together a makeshift set. A spare driver and 3-wood was obtained from good mate Tim Stewart, and a local professional lent Arnold a set of irons. The re-fit did Arnold no damage with Arnold opening with 1-under-par 69, however, a second round 77 did. Arnold was obviously disappointed with the whole situation, compounded even further by today’s pin placements.
“There were only about four decent pin positions on the course today,” remarked Arnold.
“The pin on the 3rd was on top of a bowl, two paces off the left. They had to do something about it, as it was unplayable.”
Tim Stewart was one of the few players finding the conditions favourable, with the 2006 Australian Amateur champion moving to 7-under-par for the tournament going through sixteen before play was suspended.
Stewart is capable of winning this tournament and will be a player to monitor, once the cut of top-60 and ties is determined after tomorrow’s third round.
