The 2024 Tour Championship comes with a twist as East Lake underwent an extensive restoration process in the offseason. The course has turned back to the clock – no longer the golf course some have grown used to playing.
East Lake now plays as a par 71 as opposed to its traditional par 70 for professionals. This has caused some golfers like Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns and Xander Schauffele to play down the adjacent 10th hole during practice rounds.
It’s a strategy other players were likely pondering as well, one Donald Ross probably didn’t envision when designing the golf course. The PGA Tour Rules Committee has since stated No 10 will be marked as internal out of bounds.
Some may ultimately like the changes made to East Lake, but the general consensus among players appears to be that the jury is still out. While this week will tell a lot about Andrew Green’s efforts to restore the past, the golf course will need time to settle into its own.
⛳ PGA Introduces New Rule @ Tour C’ship: An internal out-of-bounds call has put paid to the plans of players, including Scottie Scheffler, to use an alternate route on the 18th at the Tour Championship – but why was the decision made?
In the build-up to the tournament, dramatic changes to two holes have led to several players experimenting with playing down the 10th fairway during practice rounds, as it offers a better way to lay up.
But the opportunity players saw to take a less hazardous route has now been closed after the PGA Tour announced the fairway of the 10th will be internal out of bounds during play on the 18th. It has also taken a similar decision on the sixth for any player considering using the seventh fairway.
This decision was made primarily out of safety concerns, specifically to prevent players from effectively putting people in harm’s way by taking an alternate route.
It’s back to the drawing board for the stars as they prepare to compete on a vastly altered course to the one they encountered just a year ago.
