Top Official Concedes Fairways Too Narrow

Hugh Campbell, chairman of the Royal and Ancient championship committee, said that Carnoustie’s fairways were set up too narrow.

“By the time we realized there might be a problem, it was too late to do anything about it,” said Campbell, the senior official in charge of preparing the course.

Weather conditions enabled the rough to grow taller than expected and tall rough combined with narrow fairways made Carnoustie even more difficult than usual.

“Given the weather we have had, perhaps the fairways have been too narrow in parts,” Campbell said.

Said Michael Bonallack, R&A; secretary: “We don’t set out to make the players look like idiots.”

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Tiger Woods, who finished tied for seventh, said, “I’m very proud of the way I played this week. I am disappointed I didn’t win, but that’s why I’m not down.”

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Few players had as much bad luck as Lee Janzen, who shot a 78 and finished at 27 over 311 and beat only three players who made the cut. Janzen’s problems included a five-putt on Saturday.

Said Janzen: “This is a great golf course, but I didn’t play great.”

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As it turns out, the free drop that Jean Van de Velde was allowed at the 11th hole Saturday was a mistake. “It is regrettable,” David Rickman, rules secretary for the Royal and Ancient, said Sunday. “The players request was both reasonable and understandable, but relief should not have been granted.”

Van de Velde’s tee shot on No. 11 ended up in the right rough and he chose to play a chip shot back to the fairway, but said a television tower was in the way. He asked for relief without penalty for a temporary immovable obstruction and was granted it.

Van de Velde would have played the same chip shot if he had not been granted relief, but the free drop gave him a slightly better shot. Van de Velde managed to save par on the hole when he made a 10-foot putt.