R&A 'adjust' bunker raking for 151st Open after first-round issues

The R&A instructed greenkeeping crews to build up bunker edges for the second round of the 151st Open after players felt they were too penal on day one at Royal Liverpool.

Rory McIlroy needed two attempts to escape from a greenside bunker at the 18th in his opening round in the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images.

The step was aimed at allowing balls to roll back to the centre of the bunkers after numerous instances in the first round of players facing almost impossible shots as balls came to rest at the bottom of the steep faces.

They included newly-crowned Genesis Scottish Open champion Rory McIlroy, who failed with an attempt to splash out sideways from a greenside bunker at the 18th then did well to escape at the second attempt after having to adopt a treacherous stance.

A statement issued by The R&A on Friday morning said: “We would like to advise you of an adjustment we have made to the way the bunkers are raked overnight.

"Yesterday afternoon the bunkers dried out more than we have seen in recent weeks and that led to more balls running straight up against the face than we would normally expect. We have therefore raked all of the bunkers slightly differently to take the sand up one revet on the face of the bunkers.

"We routinely rake bunkers flat at most Open venues but decided this adjustment was appropriate in light of the drier conditions which arose yesterday. We will continue to monitor this closely for the remainder of the championship.”

The move was welcomed by renowned American journalist and author of golf course books Geoff Shackleford. Writing on Twitter, he said: “Early Sky Sports Golf coverage just showed the crews doing emergency work to return concave floors to Hoylake’s greenside bunkers. Shame for the crew to have to do the extra work, but the right call for The Open.”

Host club member Matthew Jordan found himself faced with two shots from right under the faces of bunkers as he opened with a 69 after hitting the opening blow in the season’s final major on Thursday morning.

“I haven't seen the bunkers like this at all,” said the former St Andrews Links Trophy winner. “I don't know who's annoyed the greenkeeper. They're just so flat and they're so penal. You just can't hit it in any bunkers whatsoever.

“We know how penal fairway bunkers are, but even the greenside bunkers this week you can drop two shots just like that.”

Playing in the same group as Jordan, Richie Ramsay also commented on the flat floors of the bunkers on the opening day.

“It's heavily, heavily underrated how much of a difference that makes, like they do at St Andrews,” he said. “So you're going to see a lot of guys maybe right up against the face trying to hit it as hard as possible. I think over the course of a tournament, it's worth at least an extra shot.”

Stewart Cink, the 2009 winner at Turnberry, also had something to say about them, even though he opened with a bogey-free 68.

“Eventually it'll catch up with you,” he said. “The bottoms of them are so flat that if a ball comes in with any momentum, it's just going right up to the lip and stop. There's not a little upslope that helps you at all. They are very penal.”