The PGA of America and Hazeltine National Golf Club will once again unite to bring one of the strongest fields in championship golf back to Minnesota. In August 2009, all eyes will be on the Twin Cities, as the greatest names in golf descend upon Hazeltine National to compete for the coveted Wanamaker trophy. If you're looking for a good way start the final chapter of this year's golfing season to a close—and pick up some practical golfing tips that can help lower your golf handicap—the PGA promises not to disappoint golfing fans.
The PGA Championship is widely respected as one of professional golf's most esteemed and coveted tournaments. The last of this year's majors, it boasts a course re-designed specifically to challenge a player's shotmaking skills and a intensely competitive field that includes not only Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington, but also Phil Mickelson and some of the most talented "young guns" on the tour—all vying for this year's Wannamaker Trophy.
A Rich History of Championship Play
Hazeltine National Golf Club, the venue for the 2009 PGA Championship, features a rich history of championship play season with a dash of controversy. Open for play in 1962, Hazeltine National Golf Club has been the site of three Major golf championships and seven National golf championships. After the completion of the 2016 Ryder Cup, it will become the only course in the nation to have hosted all of golf’s most prominent amateur and professional championships
Changes to the course promise to provide golf lessons to players and fans alike. Hazeltine has added more than 300 yards, since the 2002 PGA Championship, and moved quite a few fairway bunkers into play to challenge today's longer hitters. The course now measures 7,674 yards from the back tees, a PGA Championship record. If you're looking for an in-depth, hole-by-hole description of the course, check out the tour provided by the PGA Championship Web site. The site also provides a short overview of past championships at Hazeltine.
Typical OF The Course's Challenges
But here's a brief rundown of the changes they've made to the course. The first hole, as the Web site says, is typical of the course's challenges. Fairway bunkers pinch the drive zone, demanding accurate drives. Shots from the rough will have difficulty holding the green. Wind direction and strength will also be factors on the first hole at Hazeltine as well as several others. The wind will determine how aggressive golfers can be the hole. The green has distinct tiers, so an accurate approach shot can mean the difference between a birdie and a three putt. That can be said of many of Hazeltine's greens, many of which are fairly wide.
Hazeltine also features several challenging holes on the back nine—none more so than the 11th, (606 yard, par 5), which proved pivotal during the 2002 PGA Championship. Rich Beem played the hole perfectly, with a long drive to the fairway and a second shot that came to rest 8 feet from the hole. His eagle was the only one on the hole during the championship, propelling him to victory. But a new fairway bunker now dots the drive zone. So attempts to reach the green in two that come up short could find the new bunker, making a birdie difficult.
The finishing holes (16, 17, 18) are a real test of a player's skill and nerve. They're not designed for players with high golf handicaps. Of the three, the 17th hole (182 yards, Par 3) is one to watch. This hole features a beautiful green site surrounded by bunkers and water that's a lot tougher than it looks. A large bowl in the front left portion of the green captures shots off the mark of the hole's location and pushes balls along the relatively narrow shelves on the green's right side and in back. From there, three putts are common, making this green one the most difficult on Hazeltine.
Competition Is Stiff
Competition for the Wannamaker Trophy is stiff this year. Many are picking Tiger Woods, who's won his last two PGA tournaments—the Buick Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational—to take home the cup. Challenging Tiger is Phil Mickelson, who is playing in his first tournament in several weeks, thanks to family illnesses. Mickelson says he likes the changes to the course, having played a couple of practice rounds there. Other contenders, according to some experts, are Padraig Harrington, Anthony Kim, Retief Goosen, Steve Stricker, and Stewart Cink. NBC Sports provides a good break down on its Web site (http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/32326152/ns/sports-golf), if you want to check it out.
This year's PGA Championship promises not to disappoint. It's being played on a challenging course that can provide players with a real test of their shoemaking capabilities—and probably a few golf lessons along the way. Watching the tournament on TV or over the Internet is a good way to pick up some practical golf tips if you're looking to lower your golf handicap. Deciding the winner will probably come down to the wire on Sunday.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book "How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros." He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.
