Adam Schenk urges Tiger Woods to make a specific hole change at Riviera golf course
Tiger Woods made his 2024 PGA Tour debut at the Genesis Invitational. Woods had to withdraw from the tournament due to influenza, but did play the first six holes going into the second day of the tournament. He hit a bogey during the second round of the tournament on the fourth hole, which has proved to be a difficult hole to crack.
Most golfers struggled on the fourth hole of the Genesis Invitational. According to data analyst Justin Ray, the hole has a green in regulation percentage of 15.4%.
According to Golf Digest, only six out of the 51 players hit the ball on the green in regulation on the fourth hole during the final round, which is less than 12%. At the end of the tournament, Adam Schenk tweeted to Tiger Woods, asking him to tell the organisers to change the fourth hole on the Riviera Golf Course.
"Riv but #4 is terrible. Can get behind 10 bc so entertaining & adds value. 17 fun/fair holes & hole 4 Tiger Woods, ask them, no tell them to grow poana short of 4 for the left 2/3 of green rewarding good shots & keep current grass short on right 1/3 of green."
The low regulation of the fourth hole has certainly raised concerns over the difficulty and eligibility of the hole.
What is so challenging about the design of Riviera's fourth hole that Adam Schenk asked Tiger Woods to change it?
The fourth hole at the Riviera Golf Course is known to be one of the most challenging ones, especially due to its topography. As explained by Golf Digest:
"The massive scale of the fronting bunker and the tie-in with the canyon, however, put Rivera’s fourth in a class of its own. So does its length—playing at more than 230 yards into the prevailing wind (most Redans play under 200 yards), even the pros need to hit mid- or long-iron tee shots to a green that’s just over 5,000 square feet."
Called by Ben Hogan as the greatest par three in America, the hole has only found a 33% regulation since 2016. The unpredictable nature of the hole also means that a poor shot will end in a bogey. However, shots that do make it in regulation usually also see a hole out quite often.