Kodak Challenge Update: Northern Trust Open

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Feb. 20, 2011

MORE: Interactive Kodak Challenge Scorecards

The Kodak Challenge is a first-of-its-kind competition for PGA TOUR players, who must play at least 18 of the 30 Kodak Challenge holes to be eligible to win. A player's lowest score relative to par on his best 18 Kodak Challenge holes will be counted. The player with the lowest cumulative score relative to par wins $1 million and the Kodak Challenge trophy.

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Jack Nicklaus calls this "one of the best 10th holes in major championship golf." A short hole but by no means easy, longer hitters can drive this green, but extreme accuracy is required. The ideal spot to come into this green is from the left side of the fairway. An extremely narrow green with bunkers right, left and behind gives this hole its character.

Fourth round

The lone eagle on Kodak Challenge Hole No. 10 belonged to Brendon de Jonge, who holed out from 81 yards Sunday and merited Kodak Challenge Moment of the Day honors in the final round of the Northern Trust Open. The eagle on the 315-yard par 4 catapulted de Jonge into second place on the Kodak Challenge leaderboard, tied with Bill Lunde at 5-under. de Jonge and Lunde sit only one stroke behind leader Jarrod Lyle, who leaves Riviera Country Club leading the $1 million season-long competition.

PGA TOUR pro Robert Allenby nearly carded an eagle of his own Sunday when his second shot from 91 feet stopped fourteen inches short of the cup to set up the easiest Kodak Challenge birdie of the day. The longest Kodak Challenge birdie putt on the deceptive par 4 was delivered by K.J. Choi, who dropped an 18-footer from the center of the green.

During Sunday's final round at the Northern Trust Open, No. 10 yielded one eagle, 16 birdies, 47 pars, 11 bogeys and two double bogeys.

The next Kodak Challenge hole is the par 4 434-yard 16th at The Honda Classic on March 3-6 at PGA National Championship Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, the seventh Kodak Challenge hole of the 2011 season.

Third round

Kevin Na earned Saturdays Kodak Challenge Shot of the Day honors, nearly holing out for eagle from 62 yards to set up an easy Kodak Challenge birdie on hole No. 10 at the Northern Trust Open. The 315-yard tenth hole loosened its grip on the field during the third round, as golfers played the par 4 at Riviera Country Club under par for the first time this week.

Tournament leader, Aaron Baddeley carded the easiest Kodak Challenge birdie Saturday, tapping in from sixteen inches. Baddeleys fellow Aussie, Jarrod Lyle sits atop the Kodak Challenge leaderboard in the $1 million competition at 6-under-par. Lyle is followed by Bill Lunde, whose birdie on Friday kept him just one stroke behind.

The longest Kodak Challenge birdie putt on the tricky par 4 was delivered by Ricky Barnes who drained a 31-footer from the edge of the green. During Saturdays third round, there were no eagles, 27 birdies, 38 pars, 11 bogeys and one triple bogey.

Second round

Kodak Challenge leader Jarrod Lyle delivered the shot of the day on No. 10 during the second round at the Northern Trust Open, holing out from a greenside bunker for a Kodak Challenge birdie. Lyle's birdie from 35 feet allowed him to maintain sole possession of first place in the $1 million Kodak Challenge at 6-under-par.

Bill Lunde sunk a 12-footer for birdie to grab second place, one-shot behind Lyle. The longest Kodak Challenge birdie putt Friday at Riviera Country Club was delivered by Steve Stricker, who drained a 36-footer for birdie. The easiest Kodak Challenge birdie of the day belonged to D.J. Trahan, who tapped in from just 17 inches.

The 315-yard 10th hole at Riviera Country Club continued to challenge the Northern Trust Open field Friday, as bogeys (30) outnumbered birdies (23) on the short yet troublesome par 4. For the second straight day the average score on the Kodak Challenge hole was over par, as No. 10 yielded 23 birdies, 82 pars, 30 bogeys and 4 double bogeys.

The Northern Trust Open is the sixth of 30 tournaments to participate in the $1 million Kodak Challenge competition in 2011.

First round

While the deceptively difficult Kodak Challenge hole, No. 10 at Riviera Country Club, kept much of the field at bay, Phil Mickelson, Stuart Appelby and Dean Wilson each birdied the tricky par 4 to move up the Kodak leaderboard during Thursdays opening round of the Northern Trust Open. The trio is one-shot behind leader Jarrod Lyle, who played the 315-yard Kodak Challenge hole at par.

The only golfer to reach the 10th green in two shots Thursday was 2010 Kodak Challenge runner-up Rickie Fowler. The 2010 PGA TOUR rookie of the year later sunk a 10-footer for birdie. Not to be outdone, 2010 Kodak Challenge winner Troy Merritt had the easiest Kodak birdie of the opening round, tapping in a two-footer. The longest Kodak Challenge birdie Thursday was delivered by Carl Pettersson, who drained a 25-footer for birdie.

Regarded as one of the most challenging short par 4s on the entire PGA TOUR, No. 10 at Riviera Country Club did not disappoint Thursday, as the average score on the hole was over par. During Thursday's round there were 29 birdies, 85 pars, 25 bogeys and 4 double bogeys recorded.

The Northern Trust Open is the sixth of 30 tournaments to participate in the $1 million Kodak Challenge competition in 2011.