Philly Cricket Club's 14th hole shrunk to almost the size of a football field at taut 95 yards

FLOURTOWN, Pa. — With the tease of a possible ace on each tee shot, golf fan Jason Brown hunkered down early at the Philadelphia Cricket Club's 14th hole. This was no ordinary par-3, and Brown — like most of the fans who crowded the area — had to take a look at not only the shortest hole in the Truist Championship, it was the shortest par-3 for a regular PGA Tour event in decades.

Try a taut 95 yards.

Leave the driver and the power game in the bag. Heck, forget the rangefinder. Take aim instead on a hole shorter than a football field and let the birdies fly.

It was the rare hole that let the country club members and weekday warriors at the Wissahickon Course dream for a moment that, yes, they could play every bit as well as Keegan Bradley, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler or any other pro that took aim at the hole.

At the very least, fans considered how they would use the bag.

''I would just hit a three-quarter pitching wedge,'' the 54-year-old Brown said. ''If I hit a sand wedge off the tee, I'd probably take a chunk. Try to hit it a little long, maybe spin it down.''

The move is a nod to Philly Cricket's original St. Martins Course, built in 1895. Expanded to 18 holes in 1897, the course hosted the U.S. Open in 1907 and 1910.

At the U.S. Open in 2023, the 15th hole at Los Angeles Country Club played 81 yards in the third round.

But since the debut of Shotlink, a real-time golf shot tracking system used by the PGA TOUR that started in 1983, no non-major event has ever had a hole as pint-sized as the one Sunday.

Tom Hoge, who has one career Tour victory, said he used a 60-degree wedge on the hole and finished 14 at par.

''I think it's cool from a player's point of view,'' he said. ''you stand there with a sand wedge in your hand and you think, if you hit a good shot, you've got a good shot at the hole.''

The hole with a green protected by deep bunkers had a pitch-and-putt feel, and normally plays at 105 yards for members. Except for the golden, airy fescue, the hole might have seemed more at home at Top Golf.

The first round played at 109 yards, with 24 birdies and 12 bogies; the second round played at 117 yards and 70 of 72 players shot a birdie or at par; and windy third round on Saturday that blew the ball right at 127 yards had 65 players score a birdie or par.

The hole — which shared a tee box with the par-4 No. 4 hole that stretched beyond 400 yards — failed to produce an ace as Sunday's play was underway.

''I think good short par-3s are, I wouldn't say lost in modern golf architecture, but they're rare, and much more rare. That one is just the perfect example,'' said Keith Mitchell, who shot a career-best 9-under 61 on Friday.

Sean Kaufmann, of nearby Conshohocken, plays golf twice a week as a member of the 1912 Club. He surveyed the hole and figured he'd use a 52-degree wedge, land the ball in the center of the green and two-putt for par.

''Nothing crazy,'' he said. ''I don't think I'm spinning it on command or anything. Nice and easy.''

Easier said behind the ropes than done, of course, at a rare PGA stop in the Northeast.

''I'd probably shank it with this many people watching,'' Kaufmann said with a laugh.

Most players never played a hole so snug as a professional.

Justin Thomas, who tries to win his third career PGA Championship next weekend at Quail Hollow, said he enjoyed No. 14 as much as any on the course with roots in the 1800s.

''I don't dislike any of them. I think 14 is an awesome hole, the short par-3,'' Thomas said. ''I will take that to my grave that short par-3s are just so much better than any long par-3. I don't think I've ever played a par-3 over 200 yards that I would call memorable for its design versus it seems like all par-3s that are short like that are great. So I think holes like that are fun.''

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