Rory McIlroy criticizes Riviera par-3 controversy: ‘Bad change’
At the most recent Genesis Invitational at the Riviera, in 2024, the brutal par-3 par-4 got the players moving. Throughout the week, the 230-yard hole played to a par of 3.204, making it the third hardest hole on the course. In the fourth round 6 out of 51 players hit the green in regulation, with many shots being lifted from the sticky kikuya grass in front of the green.
“Bad” is how veteran Adam Schenk, after missing four cuts, described the hole in a tweet where he tagged tournament boss Tiger Woods. “Tell them to grow up [sic] you are short 4 left 2/3 of the beautiful green shots and keep the current grass short right 1/3 of the green.”
After two years, the best players in the world returned to the Riv (in 2025, wildfires in LA forced the tournament to move to Torrey Pines), and Schenk, who is not on the field this week, got part of his wish. Changes be done on the 4th hole – just not the kind of changes he would advocate.
Instead of shortening or replacing the grass to make Redan’s green more accessible, the club extended the hole by about 40 yards, meaning it can now play 270 yards, and relocated the tee box to the right of its original site. Riv said he made changes to make the hole more in line with designer George Thomas’ original vision but the tightening of the already tight test has raised eyebrows from at least a few players, including world no.
Asked to explain McIlroy said, “With 15 percent of the field hitting the last green when it’s played on its first tee of 230. If you want it to be 275 yards on a par-3, you have to change the fairway that leads to the green. To fly that green ball with a 3-iron, it’s going to stay – it’s going to end up in the 5th box.”
It has no hole be all play is extended, of course, and will likely not cool, on wet days or when the wind is blowing strongly towards the players. As PGA Tour rules chief Steve Rintoul told his partner Jack Hirsh in 2024, “I suspect the players at Genesis will see a little bit of everything over the course of four days. However, the upcoming summer events on the Riviera (Women’s US Open, Olympics and US Open) will allow for firmer and warmer conditions where the ball is played on the ground, chasing the green more.”
Rintoul added, “As always we will test hole play and gather player input on design, but our general strategy is to implement major changes.”
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So far that input hasn’t been very good. Collin Morikawa, who won at Pebble Beach last week, said Wednesday was his first day playing the reworked par 4 and even on putts he still needs to hit 3 woods. “Strike and hope, I guess,” he said. “It’s too soft, unfortunately, for me to control well, man, I’m going to play a tight 5-iron and push it up. I think a lot of us play it to the left to get it uphill, but with a 3-wood in hand, that cart path to the left plays. … go ahead, unfortunately.”
Jordan Spieth also offered less assurance about the hole, telling Golf Channel’s Brentley Romaine, “It’s the only weak spot on the course.” Other players rate from a distance. Graeme McDowell, winner of the US Open up the coast at Pebble Beach, is not in the field but posted this comment on X: “There are few holes you’d like to stretch on this beautiful course, but this wouldn’t be my first choice.
Riv’s 4th is now the longest par-3 on Tour, setting the 265-yard 11th at Puntacana Resort. Still, both of those holes are a mite close to the par-3 8th at Oakmont, which played 289 yards at last summer’s US Open and drew this from Viktor Hovland: “I think all the best par-3s are under 200. [yards]. Maybe you can have it a little over 200, but once you start taking the head covers off on par-3s, I think it gets a little silly.”
The head covers will be out on Riv’s 4th this week. Defending US Open champion JJ Spaun played the hole Wednesday with a 3-wood, hitting his front shot to the right of the green. His ball was released about six feet from the hole where he missed his birdie try but made a pressure-free par.
It’s easy. . . right?
“It’s Wednesday,” Spaun said after his round. “It doesn’t really matter today.”
