The Tour Championship is back at East Lake, but things look a bit different this year.
Andrew Green has made some big changes to the course, especially at the par 5 18th hole. The lake in front of the green is bigger now, and they’ve taken out some trees between the 18th and 10th fairways.
Players have been trying new strategies during practice rounds because of these changes.
Course Changes and Player Strategies
Some golfers thought they could use the 10th fairway to avoid hazards on the 18th. However, the PGA Tour decided that won’t be allowed. They said it’s for safety reasons: “For the safety of spectators, players, caddies and everyone on property at East Lake Golf Club, the PGA Tour Rules Committee has established two internal boundaries for this week’s Tour Championship.”
Chief Referee Gary Young added: “This decision was made primarily out of safety concerns, specifically to prevent players from effectively putting people in harm’s way by taking an alternate route.”
Fans might think these changes make things more exciting.
Scottie Scheffler talked about why he wanted to use the 10th fairway: “The way they reshaped the fairway there… it’s a very difficult fairway to hit.” He explained that if your ball lands in certain rough areas, it becomes nearly impossible to play safely across the lake.
Xander Schauffele also considered using this tactic but will now have to rethink his strategy due to these new rules.
With all these adjustments and restrictions, players are preparing for a challenging tournament on a much-changed course compared to last year. What do you think about these changes?
