“Copperhead is the best course that the PGA Tour visits in Florida,” said Ernie Els, who back in 2012 got trapped away from the victory with one shot shy. Apart from the entire course, “Snake Pit” is the worry that haunts every golfer. Well, it is not just the name, similar to “Bear Trap” of the PGA National Champion Course, “Green Mile” at Quail Hollow, or the “Amen Corner” at Augusta National. The Snake Pit is a greater challenge.
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Even the record at the snake pit proves the toughness. Last year, Keth Mitchell became the first player to play 4-under par at the Snake Pit. Now with the suspense, let’s check out what exactly Snake Pit is.
The first hole of Snake Pit
The final three holes at the Innisbrook Copperhead golf course are called the Snake Pit. The brutal challenge of the golfers is not an easy one to get through. Take 2015 as an example when Jordan Spieth beat Patrick Reed and Sean O’Hair for his playoff victory. Spieth did manage to get par save for the win in all three holes. So, will just having a par save be enough this time too? Probably not.
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The first hole in the Snake Pit is known as ‘Moccasin.’ The par-4 460-yard hole is one of the most difficult ones. With a narrow fairway guarded with water and trees on both sides, only precision can help the golfer with a par save. If the fairway is missed, it would be hard to even witness the final stretch of the hole. Even on the course, it is the toughest hole, with a scoring average of +0.460.
Until now the hole has recorded 14 birdies while having 0 eagles.
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This was just the beginning of Snake Pit, if overcoming the Moccasin is a problem, then the final two would become a curse.
Final two holes at Valspar Championship
Next up in the Snake Pit is the hole 17th, which is also known as ‘Rattler.’ It is a 215-yard par-3 hole. But surprisingly, the hole still has 0 eagles recorded. However, as compared to the 16th, it is easier depending on where the pin is placed. The long green area is an opportunity, but the bunkers surrounding could be the trap that players might want to avoid. After finishing safely on the 17th, it was time for the final and not-so-easy hole.
The ‘Copperhead’ is a par-4, 445-yard hole, which is ranked eighth on difficulty among the 18 holes. The strategically designed hole will be a test for players as bunkers surround the fairway. While the greens have gone downhill from back to front, players will have to rely on a short play, as long as it could end up in the bunkers. Similar to the other two holes, the eagle count on this one is zero.
After the strong start in the first 15 holes, the Snake Pit will be the actual test for the golfers. With zero eagles and minimal birdies, can this year change the stats? What do your predictions say?
Written by
Edited by
Ahana Chatterjee