Once JCB’s most difficult hole as a par 4, the sixth is now a less-stressful par 5

ROCESTER, England – Joaquin Niemann is a cumulative 29 under over six rounds at JCB Golf & Country Club. That makes him LIV Golf’s best performer in the league’s first two visits to the Staffordshire course. The payoff was a tie for second in 2024 and a victory last season.

But the Torque GC captain is 3 over on the most difficult hole in the last two years, the sixth, which played as a par 4 at just around 500 yards.

This year, the sixth hole will be played as a par 5, utilizing a back tee that will stretch the length slightly. That’s given Niemann a new perspective.

“I’m 1 under now,” he said.

The change to hole No. 6 is the biggest among a handful of adjustments to the course hosting this week’s LIV Golf United Kingdom Presented by JCB. The change in par restores the hole to the original par 5 that the members play while making the course a par 72 on the scorecard.

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Safe to assume that the sixth hole will not retain its title as the hardest hole on the course.

“Thank God,” said Ian Poulter.

The Majesticks Golf Club co-captain wasn’t aware of the change in par until after his practice round Monday. When playing the sixth, Poulter told his caddie Richard Curr, who had not seen JCB until this week, “Dude, wait until you see this par 4. It’s unbelievably tough.”

Poulter found the fairway with his drive but needed 5-wood to knock it to the edge of the green. His chip then finished in the rough, as he pointed out to Curr how small the green was. Later that night during dinner at the clubhouse, Poulter was told about the change to a par 5.

“It’s a better par 5,” he concluded. “It will feel less damaging and less stressful.”

Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII are the two-time defending LIV Golf UK champions. Caleb Surratt, whose career-best finish in the league was a solo third at JCB last year, was the only member to get a look at the lengthened hole before the team’s press conference this week.

“It’s certainly better,” Surratt said. “But it’s still the same hole, and now at the end of the day, the scorecard is one higher. In theory, the only thing that’s really changed is your mentality leaving the hole most likely. You’re still signing the same score. But it’s a better hole. Much better. It’s more fun knowing that you can lay up and not be behind the 8-ball.”

Players note that the sixth hole now plays the way as course architect Robin Hiseman meant it to be, with the landing zones now correctly calibrated for a par 5 while the small green becomes less penal.

“It’s designed as a par 5,” said the Majesticks’ Sam Horsfield, who considers JCB his primary UK home course and practice facility. “The green is a par-5 green.”

Added his co-captain Lee Westwood: “The fairway is better as a par 5 as well. When it’s off the front tee, you’re coming in too much across the angle. There’s a huge advantage to being able to carry the traps on the left. It just plays better from that back tee.”

Although the wind direction was different in 2025 than 2024, the field average was fairly close. In 2024, it played to an average of 4.364; last year, it was 4.309.

“Two years ago, we did play it a bit more downwind, so if you’re a long-enough hitter, you could cover the left bunkers and you could cover enough to have a short iron in,” said Rahm. “Last year, it played a bit more into [the wind] …

“The shorter side of the fairway, it seems like that’s where they want you to hit the ball. The further up you go, the more sideways and side-sloped it is with the wind being left-to-right. I would say just because of the green complex and knowing how firm it’s going to be this year, it’s a good change.”

When Rahm won LIV Golf UK in 2024, he birdied the sixth hole in the final round. Meanwhile, his teammate Tyrrell Hatton suffered a double bogey. Hatton tied with Niemann for second, a stroke behind Rahm. Arguably, it cost him the tournament.

Hatton didn’t play the hole after arriving at JCB on Tuesday, but he did see it as he followed the caddie competition that was taking place in the afternoon (won by the Legion XIII caddies, naturally).

“They were in a similar position to where I hit my tee shot, and I made a comment how I looked up and I’d lost where the flag was, and instead of backing off, I just hit it and ended up pulling it way left into the rough,” Hatton said. “Obviously got a few laughs from everyone, seeing how far left I actually was.

“We can laugh about it now.”

He’s not the only Legion XIII member who’ll be smiling this week upon reaching the sixth tee box.

“I remember last year, I started on the sixth hole one day [via the shotgun start], and I thought, probably just going to be 1-over after one,” said Tom McKibbin. “Happy it’s a par 5.”