Tyrrell Hatton gets his wish: Open organizers make subtle change to Royal Troon

Tyrrell Hatton is someone who never shys away from expressing his opinions, no matter how strong they may be.

So after starting at 13 par and finishing with a 2-over 73 on Thursday, Hatton criticized the R&A’s course setting and said the organization should have accommodated the southerly wind that wreaked havoc on players all day at Royal Troon.

“They didn’t put the tee forward,” Hatton said.

“None of the par 5s in the first nine holes are within reach.”

The sixth hole, the longest in British Open history, was a behemoth on Thursday, playing at 623 yards and a par 5. There were just 12 birdies, by far the fewest of the three par 5s, and it was 0.25 strokes above par, making it the eighth-hardest hole of the day.

But on Friday morning, the R&A announced that they had moved the tee by 20 yards to accommodate Hatton’s wishes.

Forecasters expect winds to get stronger on Friday, with gusts reaching 30 mph. Players were hit by winds gusting up to 25 mph out of the south on Thursday.

The sixth hole is coming from a southerly wind, which would have presented players with an even more challenging par-5 if the tee had been in the same place, but the R&A has shortened the sixth hole to 603 yards, making it a little easier for players who will continue to battle the tough conditions on Friday.

“The situation is tough,” Hatton added.

“There are some holes that obviously feel very long. Unfortunately, it seems like that’s the trend at the moment, to make holes longer to make them more difficult. I don’t think that makes it the most enjoyable test.”

Hatton also expressed disappointment at the 16th hole, the only par-5 on the back nine.

“It’s going to be the par-5, 15th or 16th, and I’m going to hit a 4-iron,” Hatton said.

“Tell me a good par 5 where I can hit a 4-iron off the tee. There’s no hole like that.”

The fairway at the 16th hole is crossed by a creek 312 yards from the tee. With a southerly wind blowing from behind, many players had to hit their tee shots shorter than a driver to avoid the penalty area, which forced Hatton to lay up well short of the creek and ultimately make par on Thursday. Hatton did not record a single birdie in the first round.

Photo: Pedro Salado/Getty Images

He also didn’t like the setup of the 17th hole, a tough 238-yard par-3.

“I think it’s unfortunate that the tee position on the 17th hole is a little bit further back, but the wind is still blowing today so you’ve just got to hit it with a 5-iron and hope it stays on the green,” Hatton said.

“Rory [McIlroy] “Obviously, he’s hitting it a lot higher and farther and he’s hitting it with a 7-iron. It’s still a tough hole and the green is still tough to hit. I think it was a good thing the wind was light because if I’d hit it from the left, I probably would have left the tee way back. So would you like to see someone hit a 3-wood into a green that’s tough to hit with a 7-iron?”

Had Hatton been in control of the course setting, he undoubtedly could have shortened it.

High winds could spell disaster, but at least the R&A responded to one of his criticisms on Friday by making the par-5 sixth hole somewhat less difficult. Maybe that will lead to more birdies. Maybe not. Either way, the R&A listened.

Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.