The Loop
Do the Brits have more tolerance for noise from trains passing by Chambers Bay?
One of the unusual features of Chambers Bay is the proximity of railroad tracks to the golf course, running along the coast, adjacent to the 16th and 17th holes.
When trains pass through they create a rather significant racket, yet on one occasion, rather than waiting for the train to pass, Rory McIlroy went ahead and played his shot.
Rory McIlroy preparing to play a shot at 16th hole (Getty Images)
"I don't think many Americans would have hit that shot he [Rory McIlroy] hit at 16 with the train going," Fox Sports' Brad Faxon said. "I think it's so much more common in Europe and Scotland, where many of the seaside courses have railways by them. I know our guys would have stayed away from that."
It was an interesting observation by Faxon, who in one year working NBC golf telecasts established himself as a quality analyst. Yet his contract was not renewed.
Mark Loomis, coordinating producer for Fox Sports golf, made an astute decision bringing Faxon to its golf telecasts.