Hole nine
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PAR 3, 165 YARDS
Comfortably the shortest hole at Royal Lytham, the 9th is identifi ed as the high point of the front nine for many. Despite looking a little hemmed in by the red brick buildings beyond this eastern end of the course, it is a spectacular par 3. You are required to play over a valley, which foreshortens the hole, and onto a green which enjoys arguably the most uncompromising bunker protection on the Open rota.
Nine bunkers form a sand-speckled necklace around the green, so there is a predictable premium on accuracy. Especially if the pin is towards the front, only the most exact tee shots will produce birdie opportunities. Indeed, it is no mean achievement to fly the traps and check your ball to stop it running into the bunkers at the back. This is a high-quality short hole, a significant cut above the previous par 3s.
LAWRIE: I remember all the bunkers around this green very well. It’s the shortest hole on the course and we’ll only be hitting an 8-iron, depending on the wind, maybe even a 9-iron. It’s quite a big green for the length of shot so you’re really looking to attack the pin and hopefully make a birdie to fi nish off the front nine well. This par 3 is a step in class from the previous short hole.
DONALD: I need to figure out how to make a few more putts at Open venues. The greens are different from what I play most of the year. Seeing the line and hitting it on the line almost goes out of the window. It’s more a feel of how a putt is going to move. It doesn’t have a consistent break. Hopefully with playing the week before The Open at Castle Stuart and maybe doing more links practice around The Open, I’ll get a feel for it. What I’ve struggled with at The Open is around the greens, where the ball just doesn’t roll on a consistent line. It moves around a little bit. If I’m having 32 putts a round that’s taking away a big strength of mine. If I can get hot with the putter around the greens this year it will serve me well.
