PGA Boys Whining that a Playoff on #18 wasn't "Fair" to Spieth

[Bomber_11]

Ian Poulter, Kevin Kisner, Wesley Bryan among I'm sure others are whining that it was unfair to Jordan that the playoff was on hole #18. Because the hole layout was such an advantage to Dustin Johnson and a disadvantage to Spieth.

 

Are you sh*tting me?!

[caniac6]

If Spieth made a great putt does anyone think they would be saying it was unfair to Dustin? Mabye they should have let Jordan hit from the forward tees.

[MSchad]

Sure 18 favored a big hitter. But Jordan shouldn't have even been in a play off. Should have never gone for the flag and put it in the water. That is "THE ONE HOLE" he should have played conservatively. And I like Jordan, and was pulling for him.

[nbg352]

I'll bet no one thought it was unfair until after DJ carried the creek.

[Noke]

I thought conservative Tour golfer types prized personal accountability above all else. Like: don't lose a 5 shot lead accountability. Guess not? They want "fairness" for the disadvantaged?

 

Oh the irony

[Vindog]

It certainly was an advantage for DJ over JS, but that doesn't in any way mean it was unfair to play it as a playoff hole.

[ex0dus]

Any regular tour playoff goes to 18. They aren't going to make an exception here.

 

How many players actually carried the water during the week? Faldo seemed as surprised as I was.

[sefus12]

Were the same guys whining when DJ had to go wedge - wedge from 185 out when playing 18 the first time? Length is a skill just like anything else. DJ just takes advantage off the tee wherein Spieth does so on the greens.

[Christosterone]

I recall the exact same whining with tiger...

How about jack after the masters?

He was hitting wedges into par 5s

The following year Augusta was so burned out he compared it to concrete...

 

-Chris

[DavePelz4]

Risk reward shot...DJ took the risk, pulled the shot off and the reward was a win.

 

Perfect ending to a great final round.

[QMany]

If you have the skill, athletic ability, and stones to take that line, it is an advantage, but not unfair.

[Vindog]

But link to the whining, though?

[Z1ggy16]

Doesn't feel bad. Pulled out his favorite dunk-a-roo on a par 3 trick while having a 5 shot lead, you kind of deserve it if you manage to blow it and lose.

[VNutz]

It was definitely an advantage to DJ, but I'd guess at least 75% of PGA tour playoffs go back to the 18th tee. Logistically it makes more sense, less distance traveled for the golfers, and less commotion of fans moving around.

 

But link to the whining, though?

 

https://twitter.com/IanJamesPoulter/status/901940319280824320/photo/1

[Vindog]

I just can't feel bad for a guy and his length disadvantages when he has 3 Majors before 25. Ain't gonna do it.

[tbowles411]

If you have the skill, athletic ability, and stones to take that line, it is an advantage, but not unfair.

Agreed. There comes a point when the advantage in your game has to mean something. When I play with something on the line, my buddies KNOW I'm sketchy from 3-feet. They make me putt everything then. It's a disadvantage they take advantage of. DJ murdered that ball and left himself a lob wedge in. It is what it is. If you can do it, you do.

[Dave230]

It was so easy that DJ had to hole a 20 footer for par on the 18th in regulation...was a ballsy drive to take on and he pulled it off, even if with his distance he could.

[Bomber_11]

But link to the whining, though?

 

http://www.golf.com/tour-news/2017/08/28/ian-poulter-tour-pros-sound-about-18th-hole-wake-djs-drive

[the bishop]

It was definitely an advantage to DJ, but I'd guess at least 75% of PGA tour playoffs go back to the 18th tee. Logistically it makes more sense, less distance traveled for the golfers, and less commotion of fans moving around.

 

But link to the whining, though?

 

https://twitter.com/...0824320/photo/1

I'm a Spieth fan but I read all that and just shook my head. The reasons Johnson won and Spieth lost can be looked at a lot of ways. From the Jordan perspective there was the obvious water ball on 6 but he also bogeyed 9 from 107 out by going long left. With all the talk about distance it only made a difference on one hole from what I saw and that was in the playoff. DJ overall was better with a wedge in his hand and he started getting some putts to go later in the round. There were quite a few holes that although they hit different clubs off the tee they were left with similar distances in on approaches.

[duffer987]

That's the double-edged sword of Twitter: it can give you better/closer access to folks than before. Unfortunately that also means bringing you closer to whingebags.

 

Some tiny tiny piece of redemption for DJ after his awesome driver - 5 iron at Chambers to try and win/force a playoff with Spieth.

[bladehunter]

It was certainly unfair. But that isn't to say it shouldn't be. The real problem was that was a horrible closing hole period. I say that being a player who hates a blind highly elevated green like that. Very cheesy design in my opinion . Brings in a lot of luck and takes out a lot of skill . Most good players are visual. And taking away sight is just a b**** move in my opinion . Very poor hole.

[ebrasmus21]

Since when do we take anything Poulter says seriously? The guy is a clown.

[Man_O_War]

funny, i remember reading similar stuff after Tiger beat Rocco in the US Open playoff... the playoff holes were left to right holes and that suited Tiger because he could move it both ways..Rocco could only move it one way.. I say Rocco should have learned to move it both ways

[ebrasmus21]

It was definitely an advantage to DJ, but I'd guess at least 75% of PGA tour playoffs go back to the 18th tee. Logistically it makes more sense, less distance traveled for the golfers, and less commotion of fans moving around.

 

But link to the whining, though?

 

https://twitter.com/...0824320/photo/1

I'm a Spieth fan but I read all that and just shook my head. The reasons Johnson won and Spieth lost can be looked at a lot of ways. From the Jordan perspective there was the obvious water ball on 6 but he also bogeyed 9 from 107 out by going long left. With all the talk about distance it only made a difference on one hole from what I saw and that was in the playoff. DJ overall was better with a wedge in his hand and he started getting some putts to go later in the round. There were quite a few holes that although they hit different clubs off the tee they were left with similar distances in on approaches.

 

+1 for this. Well said.

[ebrasmus21]

Were the same guys whining when DJ had to go wedge - wedge from 185 out when playing 18 the first time? Length is a skill just like anything else. DJ just takes advantage off the tee wherein Spieth does so on the greens.

 

+1 for this also. DJ earned it. He has abilities that a lot don't possess. Even with that said DJ was a stone-cold killer making par on the 72nd and birdie on the 73rd.

[duffer987]

It was certainly unfair. But that isn't to say it shouldn't be. The real problem was that was a horrible closing hole period. I say that being a player who hates a blind highly elevated green like that. Very cheesy design in my opinion . Brings in a lot of luck and takes out a lot of skill . Most good players are visual. And taking away sight is just a b**** move in my opinion . Very poor hole.

 

How is it unfair exactly?

 

Had they put everyone on a plane, flew to Georgia, and used the #12 at Augusta National as the playoff, that could be deemed unfair, but otherwise, how is the standard procedure of using the 18th hole as a playoff unfair? Did they only choose 18 after seeing who would be in the playoff? Did they make Spieth hit left-handed? ;)

[MidwestGolfBum]

It was certainly unfair. But that isn't to say it shouldn't be. The real problem was that was a horrible closing hole period. I say that being a player who hates a blind highly elevated green like that. Very cheesy design in my opinion . Brings in a lot of luck and takes out a lot of skill . Most good players are visual. And taking away sight is just a b**** move in my opinion . Very poor hole.

 

I will agree that it is a poor hole for many, many reasons, but won't agree that it was unfair. Dustin has the ability to hit the ball farther than many other players just the same as Jordan has a short game that I would be willing to bet DJ would love to have. If it was an otherwise benign hole with a VERY difficult green complex and JS happened to win, would everybody be calling it unfair against DJ? Me thinks not.

 

For those who said 18 was less distance to travel for the players, 10 was actually a shorter travel for them, but that brings in all the fan movement which can cause all kinds of issues as well as having the hospitality tents for the big money people around the area who I'm sure wanted to see the action at that point.

[ebrasmus21]

If that green wasn't so elevated I bet YJS shot on the 73rd would have stopped pin-high or just past pin high. He really hit a clutch 7-iron in there but the bloody green was so far above him he couldn't get the ball to stop close to the hole.

[Nessism]

Maybe "unfair" isn't the ideal wording, but when you have a hole like that one that so clearly favors one type of player (a bomber), then in my opinion it's not the best playoff hole.

[joey2aces]

surprise, surprise.... Poulter was whining.