The calm before the storm

By Harry Emanuel Last updated: 19th May 2010

It was so quiet at Wentworth on Tuesday you would never have guessed that the premier event on the European Tour was about to get underway.

There were no queues for taxis at the station (the courtesy bus doesn't start until Thursday), no security guards checking tickets at the gate, very few spectators around and none of the catering facilities were open. The last part might explain the lack of spectators as everyone knows following golf is thirsty work.

It was a great chance to check out the new look Wentworth after the recent £6 million renovation which involved remodelling all the greens, deepening the bunkers and major alterations to the 8th, 12th and 18th.

On the first Graeme Storm was reloading from the middle of the fairway after missing the green 20 yards to the right. After watching more accurate approach shots on the first couple of holes it was noticeable the ball was landing very softly and the greens seemed quite receptive.

Given the poor winter the fact there are any greens at all is miracle and throughout the week they have no option but keep them moist and slow. It didn't look like the ball was rolling perfectly but they are much better than the old bouncy Poa Annua greens.

Ernie was looking his usual relaxed self on the par five fourth as he hit his drive over the hill and then cut a middle iron into a tough left pin which finished 16 feet from the hole.

It's difficult to explain why he has such a poor strokeplay record on a course he has redesigned and lives on. As key part of the new design he is under a fair bit of extra pressure this week. He explained: "Hey, I'm in the hot seat. I'm the guy the guys can fire at, can throw their arrows at."

On the 5th tee the Molinari brothers could be seen practising together with Denis Pugh keeping a watchful eye on young Francesco. It looks like they have work to do as Francesco failed to find the green in three attempts. He fared little better with his approaches to the seventh green.

A new forward tee at the eighth gives the option of playing the hole as a drivable par four at around 280 yards. The pond has been extended in front of the green but I'm not convinced it's been a good change as in reality only a few of the longer hitters will give it a go and only if the wind is right.

On the 11th Mikko Ilonen asked Johan Edfors what the rough was like last year and he joked he couldn't remember as he was in the fairways all the time. The answer is there is a lot less this year.

The 12th has been turned from a par five to a par four. The tee has been moved forward a touch but the green has not been enlarged. It's going to be a brutal driving hole with a water hazard and trees on both sides and fairways bunkers on the right.

The ever accurate Edfors found the first one of the fairway bunkers. I was surprised to see him take a hybrid but not so surprised when he hit it into the face of the bunker and it bounced out behind him. From a downhill lie he thinned his next one into the lip of bunker and had to punch out with a wedge. The new bunkers are definitely a serious penalty.

The Northern Irish trio of McDowell, McIlroy and Lowry were practising together. On the tricky uphill par three 14th Lowry came up short, McDowell hit it to three feet and McIlroy to 12 feet.

On the 15th which has a new hazard down the entire left side of the green none of the players could hit the narrow green from the fairway. This will be one of the toughest holes of the week.

Monty turned up driving a buggy (obviously getting some practice in for the Ryder Cup) and went over to chat to McDowell and then Rory. I could see Lowry looking over at Monty but Europe's skipper didn't give the poor lad a glance and Lowry trudged off to the 16th tee on his own. Evidently he's going to have to do something special to get on Monty's Ryder Cup radar.

The 18th looks exactly the same until you turn the corner and see only fairway where the old green used to be. Tucked away over a water hazard you find a small green well protected by deep bunkers.

I understand the thinking that you need a tough finishing hole to truly test the players trying to win coming down the stretch but the green is too small and with no bail out area it's hard to see many players having a go in two shots.

In the Pro-Am only Robert Karlsson and Alvaro Quiros made the green in two. Long hitting Louis Oosthuizen had a go with 5 wood and came up just short on the bank and said afterwards: "That was just today. I wouldn't do that in the tournament. I'll lay upto 90-100 yards."

Short hitting Simon Dyson shrugged his shoulders when asked if he would go for it if needing an eagle to win: "If I had to I guess I'd have to give it go."

As it turns out Ernie lost the design battle with the new owner over the size of the green which is shame because if it had been designed by a professional and not an amateur it could have been a superb risk reward par five.

Overall one can't help to be impressed with the new greens and bunkering but the major changes to the 8th, 12th and 18th leave a lot to be desired.

Harry Emanuel