Singing the 'I Only Hit It 290' Blues at the Blue Monster

Day 133 without playing golf

There's unrest in the locker room at Doral. The course is set up for the super power hitters. And some players are reacting like they got sand kicked in their faces.

This excerpt from USA Today:

Exhibit A this week: Doral Resort and Spa's No. 18, a hole that used to epitomize the Blue Monster course and annually rank high on the PGA Tour's list of 50 toughest. With the tee box pushed way back, many players find the landing area unattainable where the water pinches the fairway at the point where the dogleg turns left.

"I just don't think it's fair," said Toms, who shot 6-under-par 66 and was two strokes behind first-round leader Tiger Woods and one behind Villegas. "Why do I have to hit into whatever that little fairway is and a third of the field can just hit it as hard as they want to?"

Joining Toms lament, Lee Janzen noted that this is a weekly issue on Tour. Again, USA Today:

Toms and Lee Janzen said Thursday that locker room chatter has increased on the issue of holes being big-hitter friendly. Janzen broke out his yardage book and showed 289 yards to the water's edge, meaning about a 305-yard carry to a landing area that's at least three times wider.

"Just another example," said Janzen, who opened with an even-par 72. "We see it week after week. The guys who hit it 290 -- and that's not chopped liver -- are getting penalized for not being able to hit it 320."

"Drive for show, putt for dough"? How about, "Drive to survive, putt to thrive"?

The Armchair Golfer