Ben Hogan once called Riviera’s par-3 4th the greatest par-3 in America. It isn’t anymore. The hole was moved 37 yards to the right to accommodate a new, lengthened tee box for the 18th hole, now playing at a massive 499 yards up the hill. And this is where the problem started.

“It’s the only weak spot on the course, in my opinion,” Jordan Spieth, who has a long and storied history at Riviera, including leading the University of Texas to an NCAA title there, told Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine.

The tournament returns to its historic home for the 100th anniversary of the course, originally designed in 1926 by George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell. The fourth hole was designed as a ‘Redan,’ a template modeled after North Berwick in Scotland. It is one of the most replicated holes in golf and originates from a French word that means a well-protected hole where the green typically slopes from the front right to the back left.

Rory McIlroy was the first to sound the alarm on the extension of the hole at this golf cathedral.

“I actually think it’s a horrible change,” McIlroy said before the start of the event. “Well, like 15 percent of the field hit the green last time when it was played at its original yardage at 230.”

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McIlroy explained where the problem lies: “If you want it to be a 275-yard par-3, you have to change the apron leading up onto the green. It can’t be Kikuyu; it has to be another type of grass that can help you run it onto the green.”

The core of the issue lies in the Kikuyu grass used for the fairways and rough at Riviera. Golfers often complain about it because its unique and aggressive nature makes it one of the most difficult and unpredictable surfaces to play on. In a traditional Redan design, a player is expected to bounce the ball short and let it run onto the green. However, Kikuyu is notoriously sticky, especially in the damp winter months.

In 2024, when the hole played at “only” 233 yards, it was the third-hardest on the course, yielding just 11 birdies all week. Plus, the course is famous for having never been conquered by some of the greatest names in the sport. Both Tiger Woods (0 for 11 as a pro) and Jack Nicklaus (0 for 14) have never won at Riviera. Now, the addition of a 273-yard par-3 to an already problematic zone only increases the volatility for current stars like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, who are also looking for their first wins at the venue.

And it’s not just Speth and McIlroy who have a rough assessment of one of the PGA Tour’s longest par-3s.

Criticism Mounts from Other Top Players For Riviera Change

Collin Morikawa is also among those questioning the change.

“It’s too soft, unfortunately. I’m going to play a tight 5-iron and run it up. I think a lot of us play it left to chip uphill, but with a 3-wood in hand, that cart path on the left, honestly, comes into play because the dispersion just gets that much bigger,” Morikawa said.

Despite his concerns about the course setup, Morikawa enters the week with massive positive momentum. He won the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, ending a 28-month winless drought with a decisive birdie on the 72nd hole to finish at 22-under par.

Still, he labeled the hole a “hit and hope” exercise, stating, “It’ll be very interesting. I think it’s just a very long par 3. There’s not a lot of thought to it other than just kind of hitting the green and moving on, unfortunately.”

And when the reigning U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun was asked about the difficulty of the hole during his practice round, where he successfully striped a 3-wood to within 6 feet, he said, “Because it’s Wednesday. It didn’t matter really today.”

While the players may have managed the 4th hole during the relatively calm practice sessions, the real test begins on Thursday. As J.J. Spaun noted, that is when the barking will truly start as players adjust to the competitive pressure. Beyond the controversial length of the 4th, the field must also contend with a wet environment after a powerful Pacific storm that has left the course soft and the Kikuyu even more grabby than usual.