Belfry set up not a hit with the players

It used to be the Fenway Park of golf, a quirky place that produced the unexpected and even had its own version of the Green Monster.

But the big bats have been taken out of The Belfry, where the 34th Ryder Cup begins Friday with the U.S. team trying to defend its 1999 title against a dozen Europeans who have turned ``Fenway'' into just another cookie-cutter park with a home-field advantage.

Sam Torrance, Europe's captain, told U.S. captain Curtis Strange yesterday the teams would be using the back tee on the 311-yard, par-4 10th, a hole that had been played from the front tees in three previous Ryder Cups held at The Belfry's Brabazon course.

Players most likely will take the cautious route and lay up with a 7-iron and then hit a wedge to the green rather than let loose with a 3-wood or driver off the tee.

Not unlike Grady Little ordering Manny Ramirez to bunt for a single rather than swing for The Wall, Torrance has taken the home run ball out of the game. He's turned a fabulous match-play hole into a yawner.

Torrance also said he ordered the greenside rough shaved down because historically Europeans are not as adept at the flop shot out of such rough as the Americans.

``It's what home advantage is - there's nothing untoward there,'' said Torrance, who, as the home team captain, is allowed to set up the course as he sees fit.

Torrance, however, denied that moving the 10th tee back was an attempt to nullify a perceived American advantage in length with such bashers as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III and David Duval.

``They're off the back tee, that's going to give them an advantage,'' Torrance said with a smile.

Will the Americans risk going for it?

``That's up to them,'' he said.

Strange said the hole will no longer be exciting because most of the players will lay up (even though Woods and Mark Calcavecchia hit the green with 3-woods yesterday). According to Strange, Torrance told him he made the decision because players in the Benson & Hedges Tournament this summer were hitting the green with 3-irons from the front tee.

``Technology has overtaken the course,'' Torrance said.

Woods said he plans to lay up on the 10th even though he has the muscle to get there.

``Without a doubt it's a better hole (from the front),'' Woods said. ``It was the perfect match-play hole.''

A consensus of players and officials felt the course, designed by David Thomas and Peter Alliss and opened in 1977, was in magnificent condition, but had been made more difficult since it last hosted the Ryder Cup in 1993.

As part of a $60 million renovation of the complex, more than $5 million was pumped into the course, which plays to a par 72 of 7,118 yards.

``When (Thomas) came in and gave what you might call a facelift and did the third and fourth hole and just kind of gave it some character, it became much better for the fans,'' Strange said. ``He added length to the first and second holes and it's a better course. It looks better. It's beautiful, green and lush.''

Torrance did not change the character of the dogleg left, 473-yard, par-4 18th hole, which finishes over water. Fifteen of the 24 singles matches played in the 1989 and 1993 Ryder Cups were decided on the 18th.

The most famous came in '89 when American Fred Couples hit a mammoth drive, leaving himself only a 9-iron to the green while opponent Christy O'Connor Jr. was so far behind he had to hit a 2-iron second shot.

O'Connor virtually knocked the flagstick down and upset Couples, the point setting up a 14-14 draw that allowed the Europeans to retain the Cup.

American Paul Azinger, who played in the '89 and '93 Ryder Cups, was somewhat stunned when he arrived at the course yesterday.

``I don't remember seeing this Belfry,'' he said. ``I don't know if it's better. I think the way it was set up before for match play was fantastic. There were a lot of birdies and I don't think you're going to see a lot of birdies (now). Chip Beck and I made 11 birdies in one match against (Nick) Faldo and (Ian) Woosnam. I don't think you're going to see any matches like that.''