FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Bethpage Black isn’t your typical PGA Championship course. The rough is up, the course is damp, the hills are undulating, and the holes are stretched.
The result? A long course that plays even longer than the yardages suggest, which is quite something, considering there are two par 4s that stretch over 500 yards and a par 5 that creeps over 600 yards en-route to a 7,432-yard par 70.
The ability to hit the ball far, as you might expect, is going to be essential to players’ chances this week. Why? Not just because hitting the ball longer means you hit shorter clubs into greens, but because if gives you more options off the tee. They could opt to hit a 3-wood where other players may be forced to pull driver.
And if you need further proof of how big an advantage power will be this week, look no further than this fascinating Golf Channel graphic, which shows the exact clubs Dustin Johnson hit into every single hole at Bethpage during his Tuesday practice round.
Take special note of the 10th and 12th holes, the two longest par 4s on the course. DJ hit 5-iron and 6-iron into those greens. For context, the same day, Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari both hit 3-wood into those same holes.
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