The Nelson's 18th-hole makeover gives it some bite

	With the 18th's new water hazard in the background, Trevor Immelman chips onto the green at the Byron Nelson. AP

The PGA Tour is loaded with big, bad finishing holes where players can huff and puff and blow their rounds up. The meanest 18th holes undoubtedly are at Quail Hollow (Retief Goosen took a 9 there in the Wachovia Championship two weeks ago), the TPC at Sawgrass Stadium Course (too many disasters to mention), Bay Hill (where Vijay Singh dunked his approach to hand Kenny Perry a victory last year), Cog Hill and Doral.

The 18th hole at the TPC at Four Seasons Resort and Club Las Colinas in the EDS Byron Nelson Championship never ranked among the Tour's grand finales. Oh, it was always a tough par, especially if you needed a 4 to win, but it didn't strike fear in the hearts of the pros.

Last week that began to change, thanks to the addition of a one-acre lake along the left side of the 18th hole's fairway. A formerly nondescript but lengthy uphill par-4 with groups of trees lining both sides of the landing area now features some danger. It's 265 yards to reach the water, about 315 yards to clear it. The pond sits just short of Byron's Tree, the former primary obstacle guarding the hole's left flank.

The new hazard -- OK, it's not really big enough to be a lake, so let's call it the Nelson Puddle -- got a workout last week, even though the hole played downwind three of the four days, which was disappointing because the 18th always plays toughest when it's dead into a wind from the south.

Ten players found the water in the opening round. Among those who ended up sunk there was, pardon the irony, U.S. Navy Ensign Billy Hurley. The hazard was baptized as a tough spot when Sean O'Hair, Chris DiMarco and Greg Chalmers drove into it Thursday in successive groups. Fifteen players hit into it on Friday, and six on Saturday, after the cut, when a left-to-right wind made it a tougher target. The average score was 4.19 for the week, versus 4.00 last year, and the 18th ranked as the fourth-hardest hole. Last year it ranked 12th-hardest.

"The 18th hole was a pretty good hole," tournament host Byron Nelson said. "Now it's a great hole. Even if some players carry it over the water, they're still behind the trees. It's become a dogleg out to the right now."