SOUTHPORT, England -- All the whining about the breeze, at least to Peter Dawson, is just a bunch of bluster.
Not surprisingly, several players came out swinging about the setup conditions at Royal Birkdale on Thursday, including complaints from at least one American player that Dawson's organization was essentially manned by incompetents.
The director of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, which runs the British Open, insisted that the criticisms were unfounded and that proper adjustments were made in accordance with the Thursday weather forecast.
Players, in particular American Jerry Kelly, were critical of the organization and said the tees should have been moved up on four holes playing into a 30 mph breeze.
Others specifically singled out par-4 hole Nos. 6, 11 and 16, which were playing into the wind. As for the sixth, Dawson shrugged.
"Six is 499 into the wind," he said. "It was a par-5 today, clearly. Treat it as a par-5. I don’t see it as an issue."
On the 11th, which is listed at 436 yards, the R&A moved the tee to the front of the championship box and shaved 10 yards off the length. Otherwise, the next available tee area was roughly 50 yards further up, he said.
In hindsight, Dawson said the R&A should have constructed another tee area between the champion and members' regular tees. Even with the extra 10 yards, some players couldn’t reach the fairway grass, a carry of about 210 yards over intermediate rough, straight into the breeze.
"It's another one into the wind," Dawson said stoically. "Links golf, tough day at the seaside."
With winds of 40 mph in the forecast for Saturday, Dawson said he would take a hard look at playing the hole from the members' tee. As it was, the forecast keeps changing. No rain was forecast for Thursday until very late Wednesday night.
Dawson chalked up most of the complaining to sheer frustration. When American players see this much wind and rain, he noted, it's usually accompanied by lightning and precipitates a postponement of play. In England, minus the electrical show, they play on.
"There's nothing wrong with the course," he said.
Dawson also expressed disappointment that Rich Beem and Sandy Lyle, two players who won major championships in the past, quit in the middle of the round. Neither suffered any apparent serious injury, thought both reported pain in their hands or fingers.
"I have to say, I think a professional golfer should complete the round," Dawson said. "You wonder what they would do if the recorder (walking scorekeeper) did the same."
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