Medinah’s fence holes factor early with three OB balls, nearly a fourth

The rerouting of Medinah Country Club’s No. 3 Course for this Presidents Cup was expected to create drama, especially on the first three holes.

These are referred to, by some, as the fence holes because a wooden, split-rail fence runs alongside the left side of each of them, separating the course from out of bounds.

“It’s very nerve-racking,” Justin Thomas said on Wednesday. “I would just say that every single person that’s playing a match and hitting shots on those holes this week is thinking about them or maybe approaching them differently than if that fence was just a fence, if it wasn’t a boundary fence. So, it’s there, and it will be a part of the thinking somewhat.”

During Thursday’s opening fourball session, those fence holes immediately made themselves known, forcing three shots – and nearly four – to be hit out of play.

While no shot found out of bounds and only four of the 20 competitors missed the fairway at the par-4 first hole, there were only two birdies on that opening hole, as tee balls that favored the right made it impossible to get close to the back-right pin.

The par-4 second hole was a different story. In the first match, Sungjae Im’s drive clanked off the fence and fortunately for Im, bounced back into the fairway.

Jackson Koivun, Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim weren’t so lucky, as all three had to re-tee after sending their initial tee balls left of the fence.

The boundary doesn’t factor as much at the par-5 third, though of the seven players who hit their tee shot well right of the center-line bunker, only one of them carded birdie (Scottie Scheffler).

For as much as the fence holes factored on Thursday, the nerves on those holes will be heightened on Friday as the format switches to foursomes.