Golf: 17th Hole, for Palmer, or Hogan, in their prime, nothing to

it

Tony Altobelli

NEWPORT BEACH - Chi Chi Rodriguez best explained the mind set each

golfer needs to be successful at the par 3, 185-yard, 17th hole at the Toshiba Senior Classic.

“You need Arnold Palmer’s swing and Ben Hogan’s guts to play this hole

well,” the ever-colorful Rodriguez said. “I wish I had those qualities.”

For those not familiar with the Newport Beach Country Club’s signature

hole, it’s 185 yards of pure mental torture and/or exhilaration,

depending on the outcome.

An elevated tee gives the golfer a beautiful look at the hole, which

is guarded by bunkers in the front and to the right. Four palm trees are

placed to the left of the two-tiered green, along with an embankment

behind the green for anyone who misses long.

Oh yeah, there’s also a big, big lake that hugs the hole from the

right and swallows any shots less than 170 yards.

“You’ve got to get it on the green on 17,” NBCC head professional Paul

Hahn said in this year’s Toshiba Senior Classic program. “The bunker is

larger than it was two years ago, so it will catch any shots that miss

right. The worst place to miss is long and left when the pin is on the

top tier. From there, you have to hit down to the green and it’s as quick

as can be.”

Long and left is bad, but for Bob Murphy short and left worked out

pretty good at the 1997 Toshiba Senior Classic.

On perhaps the most memorable putt witnessed on the 17th, Murphy, an Irishman playing on the day before St. Patrick’s Day, used a little “Luck

O’ The Irish” to send an 80-foot putt up the monster tier and into the

back-edge of the cup to win a nine-hole playoff with Jay Sigel.

Not to be outdone the following year was Hale Irwin, who in 1998, set

the course record with a final-round 62 and won the tournament by one

stroke, thanks in part to some divineintervention at the 17th hole.

Tied with Hubert Green heading to the 17th, Irwin’s tee shot hit came

up short, sending the ball on a one-way trip to the water before the

Famous Bunker Rake became a part of golf history.

The rake stopped the ball from the water, allowing Irwin to get up and

down for a par. He then birdied the 18th to give him a one-shot win and

the course-record. The Famous Bunker Rake, autographed by Irwin, is on

display in the trophy case in the clubhouse.

Friday, the hole was relatively calm and gentle, playing as the

eighth-toughest hole on the course. There was 16 birdies, 47 pars, 12

bogeys and three double bogeys. The pin was seven yards short and four

yards to the right of center and on the lower tier of the green, a

relatively easy pin placement.

“It’s a hole that if you get a high score, it will leave you tossing

and turning in your sleep,” Rodriguez said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if

Alfred Hitchcock had something to do with the design of it.”

Friday’s first-round leaders, Jose Maria Canizares, Bruce Fleisher,

Dana Quigley, Dave Stockton and Bob Gilder combined to shoot 30 under par

for the day (-6 each), but the fivesome managed only one birdie and four

pars on the 17th.

Gilder walked onto the 17th with four straight birdies to his credit.

The 17th would not allow a fifth as he walked away with a par.

In addition to the pressure of winning a golf tournament, Cadillac

throws in a $47,000 Deville GTS to anyone who manages to make a

hole-in-one.

Jim Dent came the closest on Friday, leaving his tee shot about a foot

shy of the hole for a gimme birdie.

It’s also a hole that brings out the silliness in some golfers.

John Mahaffey, after sinking a tricky six-footer for par, threw his

ball in the water out of pure relief.

Isao Aoki left his 20-foot birdie attempt hanging onto the edge of the

cup. He tried to clap loudly to try to scare it into the hole, but had to

settle for a par.

Then, there’s Chi Chi. Hit hit a low, line drive into the bunker,

making him shriek out an “Ohhhhh!” upon its landing into the bunker.

From there, a nice up and down not only saved his par, but sent

Rodriguez into a dancing frenzy, bringing the crowd to its feet.

“What can I say?” Rodriguez said. “I get excited when I make a par on

a tough hole like that.”