Exactly this.

This is a guy who once publicly said "I don't know why I did that... I.. I'm such an idiot" after blowing a major.

You "know" why he withdrew. What he cites for the media isn't really worth getting upset over. He at least granted an exit interview.

I can't believe im 100% in agreement with BO but wrt the bunkers, I am.

Same. Bunkers nowadays are too easy to play from.

Also lol at people defending Phil for basically quiting.

It's funny I'm reading the Little Red Book last night after seeing this thread obv. and here are Harvey Penick's thoughts on bunkers:

"In my opinion, it has become much too easy for the touring professional."
"Touring pros will aim at greenside bunkers..."
"The touring pro would rather hit a simple bunker shot than try to pitch the ball to the pin out of the high grass around most greens."
"This is not the original intention of placing bunkers beside the greens. A bunker was an obstacle to be avoided."

About the old days, just after the invention of the sand wedge: "Bunkers were still no picnic because they might contain as much dirt as sand."

His advice: "Stop raking the sand smooth. Either don't rake the sand at all, or, better, rake the sand in furrows."

Hot start for Mr. Woods

wow

There's only one solution - naked morris dancers around every bunker!

It does make me laugh when the pros get annoyed when they end up in a very difficult bunker. Gotta love The Open for stuff like this, great seeing them have to have some imagination when in the bunkers.

Look, golf is a little different over here. There's a certain expectation of what a bunker should be and that expectation differs on each side of the pond. Sure, ours are way easier. Then again you guys don't have trees. We don't go over there saying the courses are too easy because there are no trees do we? No, because the game is different. (Yes I know golf courses "traditionally" have no trees, but this isn't the 1700s anymore. Golf has done just fine over here with the addition of trees.) I agree that bunkers are easy here. They probably should be more difficult. Like I said, I'd be fine with pot bunkers or courser sand or what have you, but adding furrows just seems gimmicky as hell.

Haha, there you go again turning it into a Euro vs USA thing when it's USA guys arguing over how easy it is in the USA. I was just agreeing with them.

It isn't a Euro vs USA thing at all necessarily, but every single argument I've seen involves "oh but look at the pot bunkers in Europe they're actually hard!" ...and I was just responding to that sentiment

Most of the courses in Europe (where I watch the European Tour) are the same as the USA in regards to bunkers. Links courses are the real bunker test which is what I think BO was getting at (?) (there are probably others that aren't links courses but I don't know them myself).

Gotcha. More of a links vs. parkland style thing then.

Did Faldo really just implicate karma as to why Tiger won't pass Jack?

i guess i can't ask that

BO, your entire post is moot because in scotland where they have "real" bunkers, they don't have any rough around the greens, which you conv failed to mention. With thick rough surrounding most greens it makes sense to make the bunkers less difficult than they otherwise would be.

Didn't see this before I made that post or i would have just +1'd this.

TIGER ****ING WOODS IS BACK BABY

I was just thinking to myself how big a hater Nick Faldo is of Tiger Woods and then they go to the Sky Sports studio and they say the same thing. He is not giving him any praise today at all.

It has really been annoying to listen to Faldo today.

Great shot by Furyk there.

Jack Nicklaus II must have a tough life.

Where have you gone, Rory?

lol rory, total brain cramp

in for the lol rory

Could he really have done what Peter Oss said?

Since he was only chipping out sideways, why not just go back 10-15 yards and get a guaranteed good lie?

If this was the case surely between the caddie and himself they could have realised this?