LOS ANGELES – Ben Hogan once called it, “The greatest par-3 hole in America.”
Now, it’s the longest par-3 on the PGA Tour.
Riviera Country Club’s par-3 fourth hole, George Thomas’ take on the famed Redan hole at North Berwick, was lengthened nearly 40 yards, from 236 to 273 ahead of this week’s Genesis Invitational.
The concept of the Redan is a hole that requires a longer club to a green set at a 45-degree angle that slopes front to back. There is typically a large bunker in front of the green, another, more penal bunker behind the green, and a big, kicker slope that helps feed balls toward middle and back hole locations.
The recent changes to Riv’s No. 4 not only saw added length, but the tee box was moved about 30 yards right to accommodate the new tee box for No. 18, thus eliminating much of the classic Redan angle. There were also some modifications greenside to help promote more ball movement on the ground, though as Rico Hoey, a Riv member while at USC, notes, the kikuyu rough and soft conditions around the putting surface (this week especially) continue to hinder the true Redan style.
“I’m not sure it’s going to change much,” said Jordan Spieth, who led Texas to the 2012 NCAA Championship at Riviera and has two top-10s as a pro on the layout. “Instead of a 2-iron or hybrid, you’re hitting 3-wood. It was always kind of a crapshoot if you were going to hit the green anyway. … It’s the only weak spot on the course, in my opinion, but it’s just this time of year. When we played the national championship (in late May), you could land a 4-iron on the right and have a chance to funnel the ball back there.”
Two years ago, the last time Riv hosted the Genesis, No. 4 played 0.204 shots over par, ranking it third toughest for the week. It yielded just 11 birdies, while the pros hit the green just 15% of the time and played it to a combined 49 over. Surprisingly, there were no doubles made.
Typically, what makes the hole most challenging is that the greens are Tour-level fast and firm, so tee shots landing on the green have difficulty holding. This week, however, even with guys hitting lumber in – Hoey hit mini-driver into the wind late Tuesday with the hole playing about 270 – the rains have made conditions receptive enough to allow hope for hitting and holding the green on the fly.
Still, that probably only negates the distance gain and doesn’t make things any easier.
“Too long,” Nico Echavarria said. “It’s just unnecessary to have a par-3 that long.”