Out-of-bounds stakes removed for 16th green

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Players who miss the 16th green to the right at the British Open no longer risk going out-of-bounds.

The new tee on the 17th hole at St. Andrews was pushed back 40 yards, beyond the white out-of-bounds stakes near the previous green. Most players found it peculiar that they could be out-of-bounds after their approach to the 16th, yet play the next tee shot from the same area.

R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said Wednesday those stakes now have been removed, effectively changing the boundaries of the Old Course from when players first arrived.

Dawson says it's not usual to remove the white stakes. He notes that James Briad was photographed hitting from the railway line in 1905, evidence that the area right of the 16th green has not always been out-of-bounds.