Overview

• The 236-yard par-3 16th at Royal Portrush sits above a steep ravine and funnels brutal Atlantic winds onto a narrow green.
• In 2019 it ranked as the Open’s toughest hole with just 41% of players hitting the green in regulation and 65% making bogey or worse.
• Part of Harry Colt’s 1932 redesign, the hole remained unchanged until its renumbering for the 2019 championship.
• Even elite golfers such as Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau have fallen victim to its punishing demands for precision.
• Competitors and club professionals predict that tee-to-green accuracy on the 16th will shape leaderboard outcomes in this week’s Open Championship.