'Never seen anything like it': Penal tactic has pros' attention at Presidents Cup
A wooden fence installed along the first three holes at the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club has become a major talking point among the players.
- At the start of the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club, Illinois, players encountered an unusual obstacle: a massive wooden fence installed along the entire left side of the first three holes.
- The fence was part of the course redesign by Geoff Ogilvy’s team, leaving players like Min Woo Lee questioning the setup.
- Players like Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas noted the intensity of the challenge, with Morikawa stating he had never seen anything like it.
- Si Woo Kim emphasized that any miss to the left effectively ends the chances for the hole.
At the start of the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club, Illinois, players encountered an unusual obstacle: a massive wooden fence installed along the entire left side of the first three holes. The fence was part of the course redesign by Geoff Ogilvy’s team, leaving players like Min Woo Lee questioning the setup. The fence is located just a few yards from the fairway, creating an out-of-bounds area that heightens the pressure on the opening holes of the team event. Players like Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas noted the intensity of the challenge, with Morikawa stating he had never seen anything like it. Si Woo Kim emphasized that any miss to the left effectively ends the chances for the hole. On Thursday, the fence played a role in the matches: Hideki Matsuyama had to execute an awkward shot while sitting on the fence, and players including Jackson Koivun and Ryan Fox recorded out-of-bounds tee shots. Xander Schauffele noted that while the fence is intimidating, it offers a slight chance for a favorable ricochet compared to standard white stakes.
Read more on this topic
