The Open Championship at Hoylake has a new member this year, which gathered the utmost popularity. Now, whether this popularity was in a negative or positive light is a matter of discussion. The newly designed hole, the ‘little eye’ by Martin Ebert, had been giving a hard time to the players throughout the four days. The difficulty level of the game was already top-notch and now the addition of this new shortest hole injected extra drama into the game.

But, despite the hassle of this 17th hole, this Asian Tour golf pro showcased a magnificent strategy to ace at once. Let’s see what he told in the interview!

What golf tactic aided the Asian player to ace at once

So far in the Open Championship, it has been witnessed that the ‘little eye’, that is the 17th hole can twist and turn someone’s fate. The victim of this brutal layout was none other than the Aussie, Lucas Herbert. He was stealing the show from the start of round one and had the upper hand with 3 birdies. But as he came across this gruesome new hole, his destiny underwent a change and brought doom with an addition of +3 to his score, making it 71.  

But Travis Smyth, like others, initially struggled with the 17th hole in the first round of the game. But surprisingly he went to conquer the new hole in the second round with an ace at the 17th hole. This unbelievable shot naturally had the golf world taken aback. And intrigued curiosity to know his tactic behind the shot. 

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Smyth, thus, revealed in an interview, the method that helped in making hole-in-one. He said, “When you’re trying to hit a low one, you are coming in quite steep. It’s easier off a tee, so you’re not catching the ground instantly at impact, which will create spin, which into the wind you don’t want to do.”

Thus, he meant that it was the tee that helped him in making the shot. Teeing it off half an inch above the ground and touching it softly gives out the exact spin that is required. The softer swing gets the ball the perfect spin to cut through the air and make it to the hole. 

He further added, “It’s all about that spin.”

Travis Smyth’s performance in the 2023 Open Championship

Smyth’s approach to the game had been pretty disappointing since the start of round one. He made double bogeys on holes 17th and 18th. And ended up at 78 at the end of Thursday. Then later on Friday, his game improved and he sealed a total of 72 at the end of round two.

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Even after his stellar ace on the 17th hole in round two, he couldn’t make the cut. Hence, his overall performance had been mediocre, and it is to see how he performs in the upcoming golf events. 

Do you think the 17th hole is brutal? Let us know in the comments below.