Aviara Golf Club
Carlsbad, CA
The 16th hole at Aviara Golf Club will play in two very different manner this week. When the tees are back, this is a straight away par-4. However, a different strategy comes into play when the tees are moved up and this becomes a drivable par-4 playing 285 yards.
If the tees are in the forward position, the key decision lies in going for the green, bringing the water hazard into play, or laying-up and trusting solid wedge.
When the tees are back, the real decision-making comes into play on the second shot. Players need to hit a good approach into this deep green, so positioning off the tee is still important for players to take advantage. A mistake with the player's approach shot can result in difficulty making par. From 2016-2019, the field averaged over 7 three-putts per round.
When the tees are moved up, players are faced with the decision to try to drive the green, or laying up and relying on their wedge game to get biride. The agressive play is the right decision, even with the hazard and bunker to deal with, given that six of the top-10 players on the leaderboard played this hole in at least 3-under in 2019.
The aggressive play with the second shot is the right decision, even with the hazard and bunker to deal with, given that six of the top-10 players on the leaderboard played this hole in at least 3-under in 2019.
| Round 4 | To Par | Thru | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lydia Ko | -21 | 1 |
| 2 | Nelly Korda | -20 | 1 |
| T3 | Jenny Shin | -18 | 16 |
| T3 | A Lim Kim | -18 | 9 |
| T3 | Yuka Saso | -18 | 2 |
