PGA Tour release statement after players' decision at East Lake

The PGA Tour's chief tournament referee has released a statement after players in the Tour Championship plotted mischief at East Lake. 

In case you weren't aware, the site of the $100m season finale in Atlanta has undergone considerable renovation over the last 12 months. 

Course architect Andrew Green has made huge changes to the 10th and 18th holes. 

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A number of trees, which separated the two fairways, have been removed and the par-5 finisher has also been narrowed. 

The lake that splits the two holes has also been expanded. 

Therefore, some players in the field thought it was a good option to play the final hole down the 10th fairway. 

But the PGA Tour has stepped in and made the 10th hole internal out of bounds if you are playing the final hole. 

Likewise the 7th hole if you are playing the 6th.

A statement from the PGA Tour read: "For the safety of spectators, players, caddies and everyone on property at East Lake Golf Club, the PGA Tour rules committee has established two internal boundaries for this week's Tour Championship.

"The fairway on No. 7 is out of bounds during play of No. 6, and the fairway on No. 10 is out of bounds during play of No. 18."

Chief tournament referee Gary Young said: "This decision was made primarily out of safety concerns, specifically to prevent players from effectively putting people in harm’s way by taking an alternate route. 

"When it sounds like that is going to be a possibility, it necessitates an internal boundary."

What have the players said?

World number one Scottie Scheffler told reporters before the first round: "It's [18] is a very difficult fairway to hit, and if your ball goes into the right rough and you don't get a good lie, you have to chip it 10 yards down the fairway because there’s nowhere really to lay up.

"Before there used to be some opportunity there, where now there's not. You're now hitting it across the lake.

"If you hit it into the right rough, you're now hitting it over a pond to a fairway that’s pretty narrow. 

"If you hit it in the left rough you probably can't hold the green from there, and if you don't get it to the fairway, you’re going to be in the water.

"It seems like a safer play to take all that out of play, hit it down 10."

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