Hole 9 - The Eye of the Needle, Par 4, 461 yards/422 metres

Tom Lehman: This has been redesigned and has been lengthened with a new tee. The drive is crucial here because there is a big tree in the middle of the fairway and if you push it just a little bit you either get under the tree or behind it and it becomes a very tough hole from there. The green is a blind green and another one which goes away from you and you don't see much of the putting surface. It slopes hard to the left on the front and goes away from you at the back and when the greens get firm, if you don't hit the drive in the fairway, there is probably no way to hold the putting surface. As with a lot of the holes, it is judging how the ball is going to bounce on the green. There are not a lot of straight bounces on the greens, they are all kicking one way or the other so you really have to know the golf course. To me it is always a crucial hole either finishing a nine or starting a nine and it is a psychological boost if you can win the final hole of the front nine to turn into the back nine on a high. It will provide some excitement, that's for sure.

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