The course is drying out and is looking more like a U.S. Open pre-Torrey than a typical PGA Championship. Rex Hoggard observes on Golfweek's Tour Blog:
Never like to hear the “U” word this early in the proceedings, but there is a consensus building among battered touring pros that Oakland Hills is inching toward “unfair” territory.
According to The Golf Channel's Rich Lerner, Mike Weir said that the greens this week are the closest to Shinnecock he's seen. Lee Westwood's comments in Bob Harig's article yesterday have to be the most eye-opening:
"I didn't do a lot wrong," he said. "The fairways are narrow and, unfortunately, if you miss by a foot, you are worse off than if you miss by 20 yards -- which you need to take different people's opinions as to whether that is fair.
"It is a difficult course anyway with the green and the pin positions to protect it, I am not sure you need rough as long as it is, and you certainly don't need to sweep it back towards the tee the night before the tournament when we have played it as it is in the practice rounds."
"I can't think of a reason they would do it other than to irritate the players as that is all it does," he said. "Especially when you play practice rounds as it is. It is 5 inches long, why brush it back to us? It makes no sense to me. People want to see birdies, and they have not seen me make any.
"I sound as if I am moaning, which I am, but it is a great shame as it is a fantastic golf course, they are great greens and they are playable, but there is no need to play it as it is."
Westwood missed the cut by seven strokes, but even the players at the top of the leaderboard, like Ken Duke (T7 +2), echo the same sentiment:
I don't think it's fair. If we're trying to shoot over-par I think it's fair, but I don't think that's what they want. I think we want a fair golf course and a fun golf course. Not just a survival.
