Muirfield
East Lothian, Scotland
The 17th hole at Muirfield is expected to be a scoring opportunity for players, ultimately depending on their accuracy off the tee. Players should make sure to avoid the bunkers on the left hand side, where deep fairway bunkers are severely penalizing.
The key decision on the final par-5 of the round is if players should go for the green with their second shot. Players are expected to go for the green 43% of the time from the fairway, but players chances will also be impacted by wind. Should players be in the fairway and have the opportunity to reach the green, look for lower ball flights, taking advantage of the firm conditions to gain distance.
Avoiding the left bunkers are paramount off the tee. A miss to the left eliminates any opportunity players will have to reach the green in two, and the nature of the bunkers challenges players with their second shot to find the fairway. The expected scoring average for a drive in the fairway vs a drive in the left bunkers is nearly four-tenths of a stroke.
