On Wednesday, NBC/Golf Channel's David Feherty said Gullane Golf Club, the site of this week's Scottish Open, "is as burnt a links course" as he's seen since maybe the 1989 British Open at Royal Troon. And from early reports, it seems Carnoustie, the site of this year's Open Championship, is just as baked out.
On Saturday, a pair of Open participants, Brandt Snedeker and two-time claret jug winner Padraig Harrington, shared the distance of their drives on Carnoustie's 18th hole during a practice round. And, well, see for yourself:
"Will be an awesome week if it stays like this," is exactly what you'd expect to hear from someone who ranks 137th on the PGA Tour in distance after they crank a 427-yard(!) tee shot.
And Harrington hit one even longer. THIRTY yards longer, in fact. Although, that turned out to be a bad thing.
Here's the video Harrington was trying to share:
Herrington was referring to the adventurous 72nd hole of the 2007 Open Championship when he found the Barry Burn twice en route to a closing double bogey. He still wound up winning his first of three majors that week by beating Sergio Garcia in a playoff.
Carnoustie's 499-yard finishing par 4, AKA "Home," played as the toughest hole on the golf course in the 2007 Open with a whopping 4.61 scoring average. We're guessing it will play just a bit easier if conditions stay like this.
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