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Let’s get one thing straight: Valhalla was not easy, not by most golfers’ standards, anyway.

Last week’s PGA Championship host site just played easier, in terms of how the field scored, than any of the 105 previous PGA Championship venues, largely on account of damp, soft conditions. The Friday cut line of one under was the lowest ever at a U.S.-based major. Only four of the 78 players who played the weekend failed to break par. Xander Schaufelle’s winning mark of 21 under was the lowest-ever score in relation to par at a major. Bryson DeChambeau, the runner-up, was the first-ever player to shoot 20 under at a major and not win. The field’s combined score to par? A cool 214 under, which was 254 strokes better than the cumulative field score at the next easiest PGA (Riviera, 1995).

Still, these guys are good, right? To give those numbers more context, it would be a fascinating experiment to see how a scratch amateur would handle Valhalla in major-grade conditions: tippy-tip tees, Sunday pins, no gimmes or rolling balls out of divot holes, the whole deal.

Enter Roger Steele. Steele, if you haven’t come upon him via Instagram, X or YouTube, is a golf-content creator and general man-about-the-game with an envy-inducing swing and 0.7 Handicap Index, even if his scores of late haven’t reflected that gaudy number. “I’ve been playing terribly this year,” he told me by phone Tuesday. “I just had a baby, like, nine or 10 weeks ago, so kind of, you know, coming out of a little bit of a fog.”

On Monday, Steele played Valhalla, in a PGA of America corporate outing. The event was not a serious competition, but Steele wanted to see how his game would hold up on a major setup, so he took his round seriously. He played the tipped-out tournament tees on all but the two holes where it wasn’t permitted and putted out everything. From watching the PGA Championship, he assumed he would hit about half his fairways — “even as scratch golfer, your ball-striking is pretty wishy-washy,” he said — and make bogey or worse when he did find the rough.

Steele is as long as most pros. His ball speed is north of 190 mph, and he can carry his drives 330 yards. Still, no matter what you’ve heard, scoring requires much more than just mashed tee shots. Steele thought a nine-over 80 was a good target for his round but added, “Whatever the worst score logged for the week, I wanted to get under that, and I would have figured that would be a valiant effort.” That score was an 87 posted by club pro Jeff Kellen in the first round.    

One of the tees that Steele played up was at the 500-yard(ish) par-4 opener, where, he said, he nearly drove the green and made birdie. The other was the 590-yard par-5 10th, where he made par. “Throw those two holes out,” Steele said. Fair enough. For the sticklers in the crowd, feel free to assess Steele’s round only through his other 16 holes.  

After parring the par-4 2nd, Steele bogeyed the par-3 3rd. Then at the short par-4th, he tried to drive the green. He deposited his ball in the greenside rough but still made birdie.  “The chip shot wasn’t that bad, granted the rough had dried out even more from days past,” he said. Of the long stuff, generally, Steele said, “I found that the rough was not as daunting as I thought it was.”  

“Six was pretty tough, though,” he continued. “I missed the fairway and I just had no shot at the green. Had to hack it out to the right and to the other right rough. And then hacked it out of the rough with my third shot and still wasn’t on the green. Got up and down for bogey.”

Two over through six.

Steele’s first birdie came at 10 (from a pushed-up tee) but he gave that stroke back when he tried to pull a “Tosti,” aka driving the island-green par-4 13th. Splash. Bogey.

Two over through 11.

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“When you hit the fairways, the course kind of became scorable,” Steele said. “And I felt like because the greens were rolling pure and they were a little bit shaggy because they hadn’t been cut, you really never got out of shape no matter how aggressive you were with your birdie putts.”

Steele said he hit his best shot of the day at 14 where with a 4-iron he sent a “rope right over the flag” to 15 feet. He missed the putt, but the shot seemed to embolden him, because he made closing birdies at 17 and 18 to climb back to even and sign for a 71.

His final assessment of the challenge?

“It was a little easier than I expected,” he said. “But I hit the ball better than I expected to, so I don’t know how to take that.” Of criticisms that Valhalla was not a rigorous enough test for a major, Steele said, “If it was drier, firmer, a lot of these shots that I hit into the fairway could have bounced into the rough, bounced into bunkers. The softness kind of took a little of the teeth out it, and there was no wind, obviously.” Still, Steele added, “The conditions that I played in here, I was expecting it to be a bit more challenging, if I’m being honest.”

His round, he said, marked the first time he’d played a major venue on the Monday after the tournament, but he does have another recent comparison point.

Just the other day, Steele played Pinehurst No. 2, which is playing host to the next men’s major, the U.S. Open, in June. Same deal: tips, no gimmes, good ball-striking day — only with a markedly different result.  

Steele shot 79.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Stay out. Stay out. Stay out. STAY OUT!

To the left of Valhalla Golf Club’s 18th fairway, some 325 yards from the tee, some 250 yards to the hole, amidst Sunday’s PGA Championship final round, Xander Schauffele’s golf ball had somehow obeyed the heed of fans about 25 yards away. Though, as the scene quickly unfolded, they wished it’d been ignored. 

Schauffele seemingly would’ve liked for them to have shut up, too. 

Is that how this week would end, a collection of seven days that had been pushed and pulled in more directions than a high-handicapper’s golf ball? The unfortunate accident, first and foremost. Scheffler. McIlroy. And a soft course that’d turned into a shooting gallery. There were chirps there. Was this major worthy? Where was the jolt? To award a Wanamaker, you wanna have a buzz. Still, Valhalla had given us a packed leaderboard Sunday, both in terms of number of players and the number of players who are stars, and a par-5 closer. 

Stars birdie those holes, you know. 

You get where this is going. But how would it go? Who’d make a move? Let’s make our move over. It’s getting late. There’s about an hour to go. 

But watch out!

Justin Rose, playing in the fourth-to-last group, went left and right at you at about 6 p.m. local time. The ball finished to the right of a clear souvenir bag. Looked like there were a couple of shirts in there. At least that was what Rose estimated. He’d picked it up, found its owner and offered a compliment. “Good shopping.” Rose then took his drop and played forward. The hole yields scores, but it’s not without danger, not to mention gift bags. To the right off the tee on the 573-yarder is water. Rory McIlroy nearly found it on his way to the 2014 crown. To the left off the tee is a bunker. That was where Rose was just short of. That’s where you were. 

That was about 10 yards short of where Viktor Hovland ended up. He was a couple of feet from the start of the sand. Bryson DeChambeau was in it, about 20 yards ahead. Playing in the third-to-last group, they’d charged. DeChambeau had made six birdies and was 19 under. Same for Hovland, the birdies and the score. On 18, they were a shot back of Xander Schauffele, the leader after days one, two and three, and now four. They needed that birdie. They needed to wait. Up ahead, Rose and playing partner Robert MacIntyre were finishing. 

They waited five minutes. 

Hovland looked over the lie. The ball was sitting up in the first cut of rough. He talked with caddie Shay Knight. Five times, Hovland took his white hat off and cleared his brow. Sunday was sticky, even in the gloaming. He mostly held his hands on his hips. He shuffled his feet some. The pause wasn’t ideal. Not now. He positioned himself. He backed away. Some mud on his ball perhaps. He called over Knight, who got on all fours for a look. OK, clear. He muscled his iron to a strip of fairway on the right side of the hole, about 45 yards away from the cup. DeChambeau quickly fired after that. He’d been crouching for a bit as he waited. On his shot from the bunker, he worked his ball along the left side, about 30 yards away from the flag. 

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Run! You need to see these! 

If they were to get up and down, they pull even. Pitch in, they lead.

Hovland pitched to 10 feet. DeChambeau was next. Two practice swings. A walk forward to the green. Another practice swing. A step back. A step forward. Two waggles. Another practice swing. A pitch. Some frustration. He was 11 feet out. 

“I knew what I had to do,” he said. “I knew I was trying to make eagle. That third shot just didn’t come out like I thought, and it is what it is.”

Move over to the green! 

DeChambeau was away. There’s a buzz — and a buzz. We’re in Bourbon Country, you know. But the thousands were just murmuring. DeChambeau looked at his putt from behind the hole. He looked at it from behind his ball. He talked with caddie Greg Bodine. He patted down spike marks. He placed his ball down. He gave the putt a look. He stepped back. He took a couple of swings. At 6:25, his ball rolled toward the hole. After two seconds, it dropped. 

YAHHHH!

LOUD NOISES!

TIED!

DeChambeau’s arms shot up. He fist-pumped. He plucked his ball from the hole. He fist-pumped again. He slapped hands with Bodine. “I thought I left it short again like a — like a you-know-what, like an idiot,” DeChambeau said.

Hovland’s turn. He went through his AimPoint putting maneuvers. Shuffled the feet. Shuffled the feet. He placed his ball. He backed away. He returned. Four practice strokes. He missed. Then he missed again. No tie. He finished third.  

Book it back to the fairway bunker!

Schauffele’s coming!

At 6:40, tied with DeChambeau, he teed off. Seconds later, the gang behind you pleaded. 

STAY OUT! 

It did. It didn’t go into the sand — by about a foot. Oooohhh. Which meant Schauffele’s feet would have to stand in the bunker and the ball would slightly be above him. Unideal. At 6:42, he started to look it over. Playing partner Collin Morikawa hit first. Schauffele talked with Austin Kaiser, his caddie. From outside of the bunker, he took one, two, three, four practice swings. He walked backward. He stepped into the bunker. He nestled in. He stepped out. One more practice swing. He then for-real swung. The ball dropped about 35 yards in front of the green, on the left side. So difficult was the shot he just hit that analyst Johnson Wagner even tried to duplicate it on Golf Channel. 

“I just kept telling myself, man, someone out there is making me earn this right now,” Schauffele said of his second stroke. “I just kept grinding. I get up there and just kind of chuckled. I was like, if you want to be a major champion, this is the kind of stuff you have to deal with. So I dealt with it, and happily was able to push that thing up. 

“My only concern was sort of shanking it from more of a baseball swing.”

Two more shots, he’d win. 

Three more, he’d tie. 

More than that, you know the score. 

Run again! To the green!

At 6:50, Schauffele pitched on. Five bounces. It stopped 6 feet away. 

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Six feet from victory. 

Six feet from major championship No. 1. 

Six feet and the gang behind the green can explode. His wife, Maya, was there. Friends were there. His coach, Chris Como, is there. Notably, he once worked with DeChambeau. 

At 6:52, Morikawa was done. 

Schauffele was squatting a few yards behind his mark. He walked toward it. He placed his ball down. He stepped backward. He stepped back to his ball. He squatted again. He stepped back again. He squatted again. He stood up. Two practice strokes. He returned again.  

At 6:53, he putted. 

His ball rolled for two seconds. 

It hit the lower left side of the hole (think about at the 7 mark on a clock), twirled, stopped (think about at the 2 mark) and dropped. A lip in. Who cares? 

Winner!

21-under!

Lowest score in major championship history! 

Kaiser slammed down the pin he’d been holding. Schauffele raised both arms. Caddie and player hugged. Schauffele hugged Morikawa. He hugged Kaiser again. 

“I was pretty nervous,” Schauffele said. “I walked up, I saw a little left to right. I kept reading it, kept kind of panning. Started to look right to left to me, and I thought, oh, my gosh, this is not what I want for a winning putt. Fortunately, it was uphill, it was 6 feet-ish. I ended up playing it straight. It did go left, caught the left side. Just so much relief. 

“When it lipped in — I don’t really remember it lipping in, I just heard everyone roaring and I just looked up to the sky in relief.”

At 6:55, he walked off the green. 

Game over.  

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If you’re hoping to gain entry to Valhalla, the eternal resting place of Norse mythology, you’ll need to die valiantly in battle. That’s one of the rules.

For access to that other Valhalla, in Louisville, Ky., where the PGA Championship is taking place this week, a different form of payment is required.

First opened for play in 1986, Valhalla Golf Club has been private since its inception. But its ownership has swapped hands on more than one occasion, and its membership policies have changed over time. 

A notable shift took place in 2022, when a small group of investors led by ISCO Industries CEO Jimmy Kirchdorfer purchased the club from the PGA of America, saying that their aim was to “protect Valhalla from profit-driven investors, who would likely develop the critical land surrounding our course.”

Shortly after the sale, new management announced a series of changes that did not sit well with everyone. In addition to eliminating corporate memberships and unaccompanied guest play, the club informed longtime members that they would have to forfeit their right to a refund of their initiation dues or be forced to leave the club.

A mini-uprising in the ranks ensued. Some members resigned.

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In a 2023 Golf Digest article about the controversy, one of those members lamented the direction the club had taken, saying that new ownership “wanted to turn Valhalla into a sort of Augusta. I don’t want it to be a showplace. For me, it’s just a golf club.”

However you describe it, Valhalla has long counted as the highest-profile club in the Louisville area, with major-championship pedigree adding to its prominence. This week’s PGA Championship marks the fourth time the club has welcomed the event.

That kind of prestige is one of many factors that can influence the price of a club membership. So, what does it cost to join Valhalla?

Club representatives did not respond to an inquiry from GOLF.com. But several sources with close knowledge of Valhalla, including a current member, told GOLF.com that initiation dues, which were formerly in the neighborhood of $75,000, are now $125,000, plus $1,000 in monthly dues. At last count, those sources said, Valhalla has roughly 275 Kentucky-based members and around 35 national members. A national membership, which sources said is limited to those living more than 100 miles from the club, costs $25,000 upfront, with approximately $500 in monthly dues.

Asked whether there was a waiting list, one source told GOLF.com, “You could join right now if you wanted.”

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The post PGA Championship at Valhalla was brought to its knees Thursday. Here’s why appeared first on Golf.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two fans, just to the right of Valhalla’s beastly 256-yard, par-3 14th, were flummoxed. They were discussing the leaderboard, though not who was leading, or who wasn’t. It was how they were. They’d driven here from Milwaukee, after all, seeking a PGA Championship, a major championship. 

But instead they got a dart game. 

They saw more 3s from players on the course Thursday than have been delivered by their beloved Green Bay Packers kicker, or shot by an adored Milwaukee Bucks sharpshooter. 

“You see that?” one said in discussing the low, low scores. 

“It’s wild,” said the other. 

It was something, and something you don’t expect from golf’s biggest tournaments. On Tuesday, Scottie Scheffler, the World No. 1 and Masters champ, said the majors “have leaned into” trying to topple their participants. But when the golf balls went into the air during Thursday’s first round, the players pushed back. 

The evidence, according to the Elias Sports Bureau: 

— Xander Schauffele shot a nine-under 62 to lead. It tied the mark for lowest score in a major championship. It tied the lowest score relative to par in the first round of a major. It was the lowest score relative to par in the first round of a PGA Championship. It was the lowest raw score in the first round of a PGA Championship.

— Sixty-four players shot under par. The PGA Championship record for the highest number of sub-par opening rounds was 60, set in 2006 at Medinah Country Club.   

— Another 19 were at even par, meaning more than half of the field didn’t shoot over 71.

— Tom Kim, who will turn 22 this June, shot a 66. He is only the second player to shoot 66 or better in the opening round of a PGA Championship prior to his 22nd birthday, joining Sergio Garcia. 

— Jeremy Wells shot a 69. He is just the second club professional in the past 20 years to break 70 in the first round of the PGA Championship.

So what happened? What changed?

There was not one reason, the beneficiaries said. There were several. Together, it was a perfect storm, and the red numbers and circles reigned.

Was it the greens softened by storms earlier in the week here?

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Viktor Hovland thought so. Tony Finau thought so. So did Rory McIlroy, and it was especially so for the pros hardened by the harder greens they played on last week at the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club. 

“You come to greens like this, second shots are easier. Chip shots are easier if you do miss the greens,” said McIlroy, who fired a five-under 66.  

“I think just the difference between last week in Charlotte and this week, it’s a big difference.”

Or maybe the low scoring was because the fairways were also softened. Finau thought that. 

“Yeah, the greens are soft, so it didn’t matter what clubs you were hitting into the greens; they were going to stop,” said Finau, who carded a six-under 65. “I thought whether it was a 5-iron, a wedge, a 9-iron. So whenever that’s the case, we don’t have to play for too much bounce, [and] I think you’re going to see a lot of guys hit the ball in areas where you can make putts. … 

“The golf course, the fairways are not bouncing too much, so you’re going to — guys are going to hit more fairways, and then the greens aren’t bouncing, so the guys are going to hit more greens. Whenever that’s the case, I think you’ve got scorable conditions, and I think you’ve seen that Xander, that nine-under is impressive no matter what. 

“But you can see something like that on a day like today.” 

Or maybe the low scoring was the result of the recently installed zoysia grass around the Valhalla greens. Hovland, who shot a three-under 68, thought so. “It’s easy to spin it around the greens,” he said. “You combine that with soft greens, it’s like you can miss some greens and still be able to get up-and-downs.”

He also thought the rough wasn’t “that penalizing.” Others also noted some balls would prop up in the grass made up of tall fescue and bluegrass; to be fair, though, others could advance only sideways. 

Or perhaps the low scoring was due to the zoysia also in the fairway. Brooks Koepka, the defending champion who shot a four-under 67, thought so. “Soft conditions, especially with the grass change, instead of having the bent, that zoysia make it a little bit easier, I think,” he said. 

Of course, these boys are also really freaking good. 

At least that’s what Robert MacIntyre thought. 

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“I mean, there was some serious storms the last kind of two nights,” he said after shooting a 66. “I seen last night before I went to bed, I was seeing — looked outside, and it was pouring rain, and the golf course is softer. 

“But I’m still shelling 4, 5-, 6-irons into a lot of par-4s. These guys are good. They’ve stretched the golf course as long as they can. It’s one of the longest golf courses I’ve ever played. Hopefully it’s one of the longest I’ll ever play. It’s just a solid golf course. 

“These guys are good.”

But not all were. Tiger Woods shot one-over. As did Ludvig Aberg. As did Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler and Tommy Fleetwood. Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann and Sam Burns shot two-over. Phil Mickelson shot three-over. Michael Block, one of last year’s PGA Championship stars, shot five-over. 

They would have fit in most every other year. But not here. Not now. 

And it might not be done. 

“Yeah, the greens could get a little bit firmer,” McIlroy said, “so that could make it a little more tricky. But even if the fairways dry out, the zoysia, the ball doesn’t really go anywhere when it lands. 

“I could see it getting a touch firmer, but I still think it’s going to be pretty low scoring.”

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The 2024 PGA Championship returns this week for a fourth time to Valhalla Golf Club.

Rory McIlroy won the last major contested there at the 2014 PGA Championship, but in case you’re not too familiar with the 1986 Jack Nicklaus design (or a fan of Norse mythology), you might be wondering, “Where the heck is Vahalla, anyways?” Don’t worry, we got you covered.

Where is Valhalla?

In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the mythical great hall where Viking warriors go to feast in the afterlife after they are killed in battle. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Valhalla had a similar story, as the place where heroes and honored dead went in the Thor movies.

But in real life, Valhalla Golf Club is located on the edge of Louisville, Ky., roughly a 30-minute drive from downtown and the Indiana border. It’s also only a 30-minute drive to Churchill Downs, the famous host of the Kentucky Derby. This is the first year the PGA Championship at Valhalla and the Kentucky Derby take place in the same month (the three previous PGAs at Valhalla were all in August).

According to the club’s website, the name “Valhalla” was chosen from Norse mythology because the course is now “paradise for championship golf.”

How do I watch the PGA Championship on TV?

You can watch all the 2024 PGA Championship action on TV via CBS and ESPN. ESPN will air the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday and early coverage on Saturday and Sunday. CBS will handle the primary broadcasts for the third and final rounds. 

Check out the full 2024 PGA Championship TV schedule below.

Thursday, May 16: 12-8 p.m. (ESPN); 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (ESPN2 Alternate telecast)
Friday, May 17: 1-8 p.m. (ESPN); 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (ESPN2 Alternate telecast)
Saturday, May 18: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (ESPN); 1-7 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, May 19: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (ESPN); 1-7 p.m. (CBS)

How do I watch the PGA Championship online, streaming?

You can watch the 2024 PGA Championship online in via ESPN+ and Paramount+. Options include featured group and hole coverage every day of the tournament, simulcasts of ESPN and CBS TV broadcasts and more.

Here’s the full streaming schedule for the 2024 PGA Championship (all times ET):

THURSDAY, MAY 16
Round 1 ESPN+: 7 a.m.-12 p.m. (ESPN+)
Round 1 ESPN Telecast: 12-8 p.m. (ESPN, ESPN+)
Featured Groups: 8 a .m.-8 p.m. (ESPN+)
Featured Holes (13, 14 and 18): 7:45 a.m.-8 p.m. (ESPN+)

FRIDAY, MAY 17
Round 2 ESPN+: 7 a.m.-1 p.m. (ESPN+)
Round 2 ESPN Telecast: 1-8 p.m. (ESPN, ESPN+)
Featured Groups: 8 a .m.-8 p.m. (ESPN+)
Featured Holes (13, 14 and 18): 7:45 a.m.-8 p.m. (ESPN+)

SATURDAY, MAY 18
Round 3 ESPN+: 8-10 a.m. (ESPN+); 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (ESPN+ Alternate livestream)
Round 3 ESPN Telecast: 10-1 p.m. (ESPN, ESPN+)
Featured Groups: 8 a .m.-8 p.m. (ESPN+)
Featured Holes (13, 14 and 18): 10:45 a.m.-8 p.m. (ESPN+)
Round 3 CBS Telecast: 1-7 p.m. (Paramount+)

SUNDAY, MAY 19
Round 4 ESPN+: 8-10 a.m. (ESPN+); 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (ESPN+ Alternate livestream)
Round 4 ESPN Telecast: 10-1 p.m. (ESPN, ESPN+)
Featured Groups: 8 a .m.-8 p.m. (ESPN+)
Featured Holes (13, 14 and 18): 10:45 a.m.-8 p.m. (ESPN+)
Round 4 CBS Telecast: 1-7 p.m. (Paramount+)

SIGN UP FOR THE DISNEY BUNDLE (DISNEY+/HULU/ESPN+) TO WATCH THE 2024 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, THEN ENJOY EVERYTHING ALL THREE PLATFORMS PROVIDE

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To watch the 2014 PGA Championship is to remember that you are now old.

There are many strange things about the pictures that greet you when you queue up the YouTube highlights: two-toned, obviously-out-of-style outfits; grainy, not-quite-HD video; old, familiar voices that haven’t appeared on CBS telecasts in many years. And then, all at once, the camera shoots to one of the three men who decided that year’s tournament — also held at this week’s tournament host, Valhalla, in the outskirts of Louisville — and there is no avoiding the obvious. You are older now, because so are they.

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First there’s Rickie Fowler, a peak-Rickie Fowler highlighter orange shirt flapping against a rail-thin torso, wearing the kind of shock-to-the-eyes color and swagger that makes it immediately obvious how he became a fan favorite. Then there’s Phil Mickelson, huskier than in recent years, brown curls springing from beneath his unusually wide-brimmed hat — looking like a boy trapped in a man’s body. And then, charging up behind them to the 72nd tee box of the 2014 PGA Championship, there’s the most prudent reminder of a bygone era: Rory McIlroy, hair longer and pants wider, eyes lowered into a kind of death glare. The golf world is wrapped entirely around his fingertips in this grainy image, and though this Rory doesn’t know it yet, he has about 15 minutes left until it will leave him for at least another decade.

It is the oddity of witnessing this scene in May of 2024 that almost makes you forget the oddity of witnessing this scene in August of 2014 — which is a shame, because that image was almost weirder.

The end of the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla began with a late-summer rain shower thrashing against the humid heat of Louisville in August. The water fell in big globs on Sunday morning, dousing the golf course in puddles large enough to delay play for more than an hour. By the time things resumed, the tournament — and its leader — quickly found themselves in a race against daylight.

Rory McIlroy entered the day in a one-shot lead at Valhalla, but the rain seemed to sap him of his strength. A pair of bogeys on the first six holes on Sunday sent him tumbling down a leaderboard filled with names like Fowler, Mickelson and Henrik Stenson, who were taking advantage of the newly softened conditions.

As McIlroy reached the turn, it seemed the tournament might well have ended this way — echoing eerily of his heartbreaking collapse at the 2011 Masters. But this time, it was the 10th hole that saved his tournament.

After a brilliant second shot on the par-5, McIlroy poured in a lengthy eagle putt to vault him back into contention, setting off a stretch of five under in nine holes to seize back the tournament. Clinging to a two-stroke lead on the 17th, McIlroy appeared to be on the brink of a fourth-career major victory, needing only a par on the last to push past Mickelson and Fowler. But a bigger enemy loomed much closer: darkness that threatened to push the tournament to a Monday finish.

As CBS’s broadcasters murmured about it being “much darker than it looks,” Fowler and Mickelson proved as much to be true, allowing McIlroy to tee off with them on the 72nd tee box, ensuring that McIlroy (and the tournament) could finish before the horn on Sunday. A bizarre sequence ensued, with all six golfers from the final three pairings ambling up the 18th fairway together. Mickelson and Fowler, both an eagle away from tying McIlroy and possibly forcing extra holes, hit their approaches into the 18th with the tournament leader standing just feet away. Neither golfer hit their approach particularly close, and both narrowly missed their eagle tries.

The runway was open for McIlroy, back in the rough in an awkward stance, to win the tournament with a par on the last. He would take advantage, blasting an approach into the front bunker, chipping up onto the green and two-putting for a one-stroke major championship victory.

Flashbulbs illuminated the darkness around the 18th as McIlroy unleashed a furious fist-pump to celebrate the occasion, and again from just off the 18th green, when a still-boyish Rory accidentally spilled the lid off the Wanamaker Trophy as the night descended. The botched celebration was a fitting ending to a strange final round — and what remains, a decade later, the most recent major championship of McIlroy’s playing life.

Much has changed in the years since that Sunday in Louisville. The PGA Championship has new cameras, new styles, and even a new slot on the pro golf schedule. McIlroy has seen major championship glory fade into a distant memory, while Fowler and Mickelson’s legacies have taken on new hues. But as the golf world turns back to Valhalla again this week, at least one thing has not: Rory is in the field, and he’s one of the tournament favorites.

He’s different now, hardened in the way that time calluses all of us. But not too different or hardened to dream of another historic week in Louisville.

In those ways, at least, it seems we’re not all that different. Just 10 years older.

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The post What is the origin of the split fairway and why do golf courses utilize them? appeared first on Golf.

The post What is the origin of the split fairway and why do golf courses utilize them? appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to A Beginner’s Guide to Golf Course Design, where we’ll dig into the history, design and meaning of golf course architecture terms you’ve probably heard before but might not fully understand. We’ll explain all of the above in an accessible Q&A format, and better yet, teach you how to identify these features and plan your attack for the next time you see one, saving you strokes along the way. In this installment, we’re breaking down split fairways.

What do you mean by a split fairway?

There are few views in golf more confusing than that of a hole with multiple fairways. But with some thought, these holes can be fascinating, thought-provoking challenges.

A hole with a split fairway is a great way to present strategy to those who don’t like or have enough skill to consider strategy on most holes.

While the strategy on many golf holes comes down to placing the ball down the correct side of the fairway, the overwhelming majority of golfers don’t have the skill to be that exact. The ideal solution is to improve fairway width, but that is often expensive to maintain. In its place, architects have turned to split fairways.

But while they’re built to inject energy and creativity into a round, split fairways can sometimes do the opposite. If one of the fairways is rarely used, the hole loses its strategic value. There has to be a distinct reason for each fairway and, ideally, an obvious risk/reward element to each choice.

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But what exactly is the point to more than one fairway?

A common risk/reward element of a split fairway hole involves distance. This is common on par-5s, where if you aim at a tougher fairway, the green may be reachable in two. If you play to the safer fairway it will be easier to hit but will leave you with a much longer track to the green.

Another strategy for split fairways is to have the better option dictated by the day’s conditions and pin position. In this instance, it should be equally difficult to find either fairway. One of the big reasons for having multiple options is to introduce doubt into the player’s mind — to leave a player asking, which way should I play this? If the answer is obvious and the same to everyone, there isn’t any added strategy or intrigue to the hole.

Many think that a centerline bunker is an effective addition to a split fairway because it presents options. On either fairway, you can stay short of the bunker or try to carry it. It also creates the opportunity for a great recovery shot. It’s not uncommon to see water, a clump of trees, a large bunker, or a waste area serve as the divider between fairways.

The key is the balance between the two options. Depending on the day, either fairway can play as totally different holes. Part of great golf design is having a course that is a new and exciting challenge each time it is played.

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The intrigue of many great golf holes is that they take a few rounds (or a few hundred rounds) to find the best strategy for attacking the hole. That isn’t exactly the case with many split fairways. The challenge and decision is often clear.

As with any good strategic hole, a split fairway is a question of risk and reward. Do you risk hitting a harder fairway to have an easier next shot, or play it safe?

So what should I think about when I see one of these holes?

There are plenty of things to consider on a hole with more than one fairway, so take a moment on the tee box and make the best decision for your game. Where are your strengths? Is your best club your driver, or would you rather show off your iron skills? Are you at a point in a match or round where you need (or can afford) to take a risk? What are you hoping to accomplish on this hole? All of these should factor into which fairway you choose to aim at. Most important, once you make a choice, don’t second guess it. Commit to your plan.

Where are some examples of holes with more than one fairway?

No. 8, Riviera

The Riviera website features a quote from George Thomas on split fairways: “Holes with double or triple, or even more fairways or landing places, present unlimited possibilities to our golf course development.”

On the 8th at Riv, you can take the easier tee shot to the right, which leaves a long approach shot over a barranca, or take a risk off the tee and go for the narrower, left fairway that usually leaves an easier approach. Riviera is home to some of the most iconic holes in the world, the 8th is just another great example.

No. 7, Valhalla

The Jack Nicklaus-designed major venue also features a split fairway hole. The par-5 7^th hole has a semi-island left fairway and a right fairway that is much easier to hit. This hole is all about risk and reward. Going for the left fairway is risky, but if you reach safely, you can cut down the hole yardage dramatically versus the longer, safer right fairway. While playing down the left cuts off significant yardage, it is still a carry over water all the way to the green, so you have to think backward from the green to the tee about the best way to attack the hole.

No. 14, Saguaro course at We-ko-pa

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw also have some split fairways on their resume. A great one can be found on the Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa in the Arizona desert. On this desert course, the par-5 14^th hole curls to the right and has a second fairway that can cut down the yardage acting as an island within the desert sand. If you can find the right fairway, you might have a chance of getting home in two, with a clear view of the green and no bunkers in front. Playing to the left fairway has some bunkers to contend with for running shots at the green, and the angle of attack isn’t quite as good. Coore and Crenshaw are masters of creating strategy, and this hole has plenty of that.

No. 12, Talking Stick North (O’odham)

Coore and Crenshaw have another great split fairway hole in Arizona, this time at the Talking Stick O’odham course. The par-4 12^th called “Red Mountain” has out of bounds down the left, and plenty of room to play it safe to the right fairway. The hole is 392 yards from the back tees with a 237-yard carry to the left fairway that plays right up to the green. If you hit the safe shot out to the right, you have plenty of room to work with, but a longer approach with a sandy waste area just short of the green. The OB left will scare many away, but the brave who can pull off the shot will certainly be rewarded.

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The post 16-year-old superstar holes ‘unreal’ chip shot to win Junior PGA appeared first on Golf.

The post 16-year-old superstar holes ‘unreal’ chip shot to win Junior PGA appeared first on Golf.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Akshay Bhatia holed a 40-foot eagle chip on the final hole Friday to successfully defend the Boys Junior PGA Championship title.

The 16-year-old Bhatia, from Wake Forest, North Carolina, ran in the slow-moving, sidewinder for a 4-under 68 and a one-stroke victory at Valhalla Golf Club. The first two-time winner in event history, Bhatia raised his club in celebration and followed with a fist-pump. The eagle followed a bogey on No. 17.

“To make the chip was unreal,” Bhatia said. “It was one of the clutchiest moments of my career.”

Bhatia finished at 11-under 277. He won last year at a record 22 under at The Country Club of St. Albans in Missouri.

Tommy Stephenson, of Carlsbad, California, was second. The 17-year-old closed with a 66.

Bhatia earned an automatic spot on the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team that will face Europe at Disneyland Paris in September. Captain Allen Wronowski also named Canon Claycomb, Michael Thorbjornsen, Ricky Castillo, William Moll and Cole Ponich to the team. They will join Yealimi Noh, Rose Zhang, Lucy Li, Rachel Heck, Erica Shepherd and Alexa Pano on the co-ed squad.

Earlier today, Akshay Bhatia won the #JuniorPGA at @ValhallaGolf … by doing this! pic.twitter.com/MeITpo4ufH

— PGA of America (@PGA) August 4, 2018

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