The BWD Major Tournament Hole of the Week: The 15th at Carnoustie Golf Links, Home of the 147th Open Championship

The Open Championship – Carnoustie Golf Links, Carnoustie, Scotland
No. 15 – Par 4, 472 Yards
Architect(s): Allan Robertson and Old Tom Morris; James Braid (1926)

The 15th hole at Carnoustie is a challenging par four known as “Lucky Slap” that measures 472 yards. Typically playing into the wind, the hole requires well-struck shots from tee to green in order to set up scoring opportunities. From the tee, Open competitors will look to aim towards the left side of the severely left-to-right sloping fairway. The fairway funnels towards the two fairway bunkers are located to the right from roughly 235 to 280 yards. Should any players find the hazards, a difficult recovery will be faced and scoring opportunities likely dashed. If Scottish weather presents difficult conditions with strong winds, many competitors may opt to layup short of the green as the green is well protected with significant mounding and additional punishing bunkers short of the putting surface. Two pot bunkers are located rough 25 yards short of the green on the right side of the fairway, while two greenside bunkers flank the front edge of the expansive green.

Statistical Analysis:
During the 2007 Open Championship, the 15th hole played to a scoring average of 4.35 and was the third most difficult hole of the tournament. Only 26 birdies or better were achieved during the 2007 Championship.

Fun Facts:
Sergio Garcia’s missed putt in 2007
Sergio Garcia took at three-stroke lead into Sunday at The 136th Open Championship and he led by six strokes over eventual champion Padraig Harrington entering the final round. On the verge of winning his first major, Garcia, who was arguably the best active golfer at the time who had yet to win one, let his lead slip away.

Garcia had only recorded three bogeys in the first three rounds, including a bogey-free Saturday. He went on to record five bogeys on Sunday, including on the 15th and 18th holes.

Garcia faced a par putt on the 18th that would win him The Open. Instead he bogeyed the hole, forcing a playoff. Watch the putt below.

Garcia bogeyed the par-4 1st hole, while Harrington birdied it, giving the Irishman a two-stroke lead to start the playoff. Harrington ultimately won the playoff by one shot.

Gary Player’s 1968 win
Player’s eagle on the 14th hole on Sunday broke a three-way tie for the lead. He won by two strokes over Bob Charles and Jack Nicklaus, giving him his fifth of his nine career major championships.