Jack Nicklaus changes 16th hole at Muirfield to make life easier on PGA Tour players
Jack Nicklaus got the message loud and clear. And the Memorial Tournament host and founder has acted upon the criticism he heard by changing the 16th hole at Muirfield Village Golf Club into something less detestable to PGA Tour players.
“The guys kept talking to me about it, and I sat down with Jordan Spieth about it and maybe (Justin Thomas)," Nicklaus said Wednesday at the Legends luncheon that raised $1.43 million for the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation and Nationwide Children's Alliance. "And we sat down, and I said, ‘Guys, you’re only playing an 8 or 9-iron into (a 220-yard par-3).' Then I looked at the stats. And 36% of the guys hit the green on Saturday and 28% hit it on Sunday.”
Those low numbers told the Golden Bear he needed to make another change to a hole that has seen plenty of alterations through the years.
“I said, ‘It’s not shame on you, it’s shame on me,” Nicklaus said. “If the course is not playable from that standpoint, for an 8 or 9-iron to only hit the green a third of the time the last two rounds, that’s not them. It’s me.”
It didn’t help the hole’s high Sunday scoring average (3.39) that a strong northeast wind made for only three birdies on the day. (There were only 21 for the entire tournament.) But wind or no wind, Nicklaus knew something had to be done.
The Upper Arlington native decided to make 16 play more like No. 16 at Augusta National, home of the Masters, where the pond punishes players only when they hit a really poor tee shot. Nicklaus moved the tee box 30 yards to the players’ right, which straightens the hole and takes the pond more out of play. He also removed the bunker from the front right of the green and replaced it with a slope to the green.
“I’ve given them the opportunity to play into the front third of the green without any problems,” he said. “But if they want to challenge the back pin placements, then they’ve still got a challenge to do that. I haven’t changed that.”
The 16th has received strong criticism since 2011, when Nicklaus redesigned the hole to include a lake guarding the left side of the green and bunkering behind the green.
Phil Mickelson soured early on the par-3, complaining that as a left-hander he had to draw his tee shot over the pond to a green that did not hold. Bubba Watson, another lefty, despised the hole, saying it did not fit aesthetically with the other 17.
The criticism reached a crescendo last year when Westerville resident Jason Day called No. 16 a “stupid hole,” while Thomas said it was “not a great hole in pretty much everyone’s opinion that’s playing today.”
One caddie bluntly summed up the situation: “It was a crap hole before, and it’s a crap hole now.”
Nicklaus no fan of name, image, likeness
Nicklaus watches Ohio State play football on TV every chance he gets, but don’t ask him how good the Buckeyes will be next season.
“I have no idea what you have for a football team this year with NIL,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t like NIL at all. I think it’s horrible for college sports. It makes them all professionals.”
Nicklaus said his opinion was informed by conversations with his grandson, Nick, who coaches tight ends at Florida State as a consultant.
“Recruiting trips are no more fun,” Nicklaus said. “He says, ‘You used to talk to a kid about what the school can do for you and why you’d want to come to Florida State.’ Now it’s, ‘Go talk to my dad and see how much money we can get.’ ”
Despite his frustration with NIL, Nicklaus remains a fan of the Buckeyes.
“Other schools are doing exactly the same thing, and Ohio State has a lot to offer,” Nicklaus said. “You’ve got a great program and a great coach in Ryan Day and all the tools to have a great team.”
Nicklaus agreed that his NIL value would have been high when he played for Ohio State (1958-61).
“I suppose so, but my belief in college sports is the kid should get a stipend, whether that’s $12,000, $15,000, $20,000, whatever it is. Today, without that, the kids can’t go home, can’t take a date out. It’s always worrying about who’s going to buy you lunch. You’re always worried about NCAA rules. So to have a little bit of independence, and they can do that in college sports pretty easily.”
Smaller Memorial field coming June 6-9
As a signature event, the Memorial will see a reduced field, from 120 to between 70-74 players, which Nicklaus said will offer some flexibility with weather. The smaller field, which will be further reduced to the top 50 and ties, or those within 10 shots of the lead after the cut, also means players will go off in twosomes so the TV broadcast can extend until about 6 p.m.
Tournament director Dan Sullivan likes the idea of all players teeing off on No. 1, instead of split tees on No. 1 and No. 10, which means the back-nine will be packed with spectators later in the day.
Nicklaus wouldn’t mind seeing more than 74 players in the field, but thinks the tour is on the right track with offering opposite-field events the same week as some of the signature tournaments.
“What the tour has done … is really good,” he said. “That gives an off tournament an opportunity to have some really good players and develop their own stars.”
Nicklaus shot 269 at Augusta
After the Masters ended, Nicklaus stuck around to play the course over three days.
“I shot 88, 90 and 91; that’s a 269 for three rounds, which is a pretty good four-round score,” he quipped. “That’s what I play anymore. They don’t have any forward tees at Augusta. I can’t play 6,400 yards. I hit the ball 190 yards anymore, if I kill it. I played once last year, once the year before, and I’ve played four times this year already.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jack Nicklaus redesigns 16th hole at Muirfield Village for PGA Tour
