The US Open will include graduated rough. Is that Risk/Reward? I consider the choice of playing down the middle to a shorter distance or flighting the ball over trees to cut off a Dogleg, but risking a trap or grass bunker to be risk/reward.
So, are the "Powers that Be" trying to re-define risk/reward? If you miss by a little get a slap on the wrist, but if you really screw up, you'll get nailed to a cross?
Should the focus be on "Reward vs. likely Risks" as a "Players Choice" or extra punishment for unintentional errors?
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5. Graduated Rough = Risk/Reward
For years, the U.S. Open has been known for its impossibly high and difficult rough. This year the USGA designed the rough at Bethpage Black to “fit the penalty with the crime” but utilizing the concept of a graduated rough.
This tactic is not new to the U.S. Open, but it’s definitely a welcome change to Bethpage Black. The rough will range from 1¾ to 6 inches deep and its three cuts will penalize a player the farther offline his ball goes.
The USGA is trying to allow for slight forgiveness off the tee. With the shortest cut closest to the fairway, a ball that gets an unlucky kick or just happens to roll into that first cut still can attempt a desirable shot. On the other hand, the third cut that ranges from 4 to 6 inches in height will severely penalize errant shots.
"We want to introduce more risk/reward, and that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be an easier test of golf,” said Mike Davis, the USGA’s Senior Director of Rules and Competitions. “We want to give the players a choice. Do you want to play conservative, or do you want to be more aggressive? And if you go to the latter and you pull it off, we want you to be rewarded with a birdie, perhaps even an eagle. But if you do try it, and you don’t pull it off, we want to see you penalized.”
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