When Adam Scott was last at the Valhalla Golf Club for the PGA Championship, the Australian was stunned by the magnificence of the Jack Niklaus-designed course that lies deep in bourbon country.
The world’s top-ranked golfer heading into the final major in 2014, Scott declared the contenders were “spoiled” as “they have rolled the carpet out for a fairway” at a course that recognises the rich heritage of its home state of Kentucky.
“It’s generous off the tee and quite demanding into the greens,” Scott said.
“If you can hit good, solid shots in the right areas on the greens, you’re going to have a good chance at making some birdies … possibly some eagles out there, too, with reachable (par) 5s. That is going to be exciting for everyone to watch and for us to play.”
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But Phil Mickelson, a dual-winner of the PGA Championship in 2005 and in stunning fashion in 2021, had a warning for those who were captured by the layout’s “immaculate” condition.
The drone footage of the course that has been available leading into this year’s tournament demonstrates why professionals might feel like they can “Float like a Butterfly”, to borrow from the name of the 8th hole, a 173m par three.
But if the conditions quicken the course, Mickelson noted the course that was until last year owned by the PGA could “Sting Like A Bee”, which is the name of the 451m par 4 12th hole that honours iconic boxer Muhammad Ali.
“Now the scores might be low if the rain comes in and the course is soft. But if it firms up a little bit, it will be a real challenge, because it is a long golf course,” he said.
THE HIGHLIGHT HOLES
A significant highlight of the layout is “The Limestone Hole”, a tantalising 320m par four that culminates in an island green surrounded by a natural limestone wall feature and a moat that is certain to be found by some frustrated professionals over the next four days.
Do not let the distance fool you. It may be the shortest par four on the course, but both shots have to be good in order to snare a birdie, as the difficulty rating attests.
The island green, which is 25m long, is positioned lower in the valley and runs downhill from the back, which adds to the difficulty of finding a good spot when the wind is swirling. Mickelson can attest to its treachory, having spun one from on the green back into the water in 1996.
When the PGA Championships was first held at Valhalla in 1996, the hole rated 4.02. In 2000, when Tiger Woods edged Bob May in a thrilling one-on-one battle, to played to 3.98, while in 2014 the tricky par played to 3.951 shots.
Previewing the hole for NBC this week, three-time PGA Tour winner Johnson Wagner predicted most competitors will opt to lay-up using either a hybrid or long iron off the tee.
He noted the thickness of the bluegrass rough on the right of the fairway, and the bunker coverage on the left of the fairway, elevated the degree of difficulty for approach shots to the green, which is why he believes golfers will opt for low-risk options from the tee.
Cam Smith, who is playing at Valhalla for the first time in a major and finished 9th in the PGA Championship last year, is unsure how the rough will play after a practice round on Tuesday.
“The rough doesn’t seem that long, but it’s just really dense. It’s quite patchy, so it’s hard to say whether it’s a good or a bad thing,” he said.
“I think obviously coming off the fairways will be far easier, but I think the course is going to soften up a lot and be a bit easier to hit those fairways and easier to hit the greens. It will just be a long week.”
When the Ryder Cup was held at Valhalla in 2008, the 13th hole was 15 metres shorter, which prompted some competitors to have a crack at driving the hole in the best-ball format. That will not happen this year, according to Wagner.
“In the best ball, a lot of guys were having a crack at the green. (But) I don’t personally see anyone going for this green. There is not a good place to miss it with that kind of (shot),” he said.
Rory McIlroy drove to near the moat, which allowed him to use a lob wedge as an approach, in 2014. But Wagner does not believe the gamble is worth taking either, suggesting most will opt for a risk averse approach.
“The juice isn’t worth the squeeze. You are bringing too much trouble into play and you are almost giving yourself an awkward distance of (60 to 65) metres,” he said on NBC.
If the approach to 13 is tricky from the rough, the 255-yard monster par three at 14 is not for the faint-hearted either, with bunkers on both sides and restricted room with which to find the green.
And while the 13th has played marginally under par in the two most recent PGA Championships held at Valhalla, “On the rocks” has averaged above par in all three previous editions held at the club.
In 1996 it averaged 3.187, four years later it was 3.152 and in the year McIlroy claimed his last major it was 3.199 shots.
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QUARTER HORSES AND DASHING GREENS MAKE FOR A TRUE TEST
Courtesy of a combination of factors, the layout for the 2024 PGA Championships is going to be the “real challenge” Mickelson warned Valhalla is capable of being back when it last hosted the major a decade ago.
For a starter, it is longer than it was in 2014 when Rory McIlroy shot 16-under to edge Mickelson and now stretches to almost 7,000 metres, though Tiger Woods said on Tuesday that the core tenets of the course remain similar to when he claimed the title in 2000.
“It’s gotten bigger. (It’s) gotten a little bit longer. I think they have extended six tees since we played in 2014 (and) opened up some of the areas so there’s more flow, less trees. (It is) definitely different than when we played in 2000,” he said.
“But it’s still the same framework that we played in 2000. (It has) the same corridors, but it’s just gotten a little bit bigger, a little bit longer, just like all golf courses or all championships that we go to now.
“I’m looking forward to one day they say we shortened this hole up, because it seems like every time we come back and play it’s always getting longer.”
The course was built partially on tracks that were once used to train American Quarter Horses and the greens promise to have the acceleration of those speedsters if it is warm and dry.
The forecast suggests this will be the case, though thunderstorms are predicted for Friday. Practice was delayed for a period on Tuesday due to the weather and if it remains wet, world No.1 Scottie Scheffler said he expects players will shoot low scores.
“We’ll see how the golf course plays. I only played nine holes yesterday and today, so as the tournament goes on, we’ll see how the course plays,” he said.
“But with soft greens and soft fairways, I’d imagine the scores would be fairly low here. I don’t know exactly what the winning score will be like, but I think … scores would be a little bit lower, I think, than the last major.”
That said, the weather forecast looks superb for the rest of the tournament, peaking at a warm 29C for the championship round on Sunday.
Spring arrived earlier than usual in Kentucky as well, which is expected to see Valhalla play similarly to when the PGA Championship was held late in summer back in 2014, the year McIlroy launched a remarkable surge on the back nine.
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But the weather is not the only factor expected to see Valhalla present a challenge.
In 2021, the club replaced its bent grass fairways with Zeon Zoysia Grass, which requires less water and few chemicals than bent, but plays faster and firmer. This creates significantly more roll, while strips of rough have been removed before bunkers, which is likely to bring them into play more frequently as well.
Keith Reese, who is the PGA general manager at Valhalla, first started at the club as an assistant professional in 1989 and expects the course will suit players in control of all aspects of their game.
“Hitting the fairways is way more at a premium here than it is at a lot of places,” he told GolfWeek.
“It will be interesting to see if the players have to adjust their aiming points off some of the tees this year, just because we are getting more roll than we typically would.”
Similarly to Mickelson a decade ago, Reese said the course for the 2024 championship had the potential to trouble the world’s best golfers.
“I think the golf course is a good test of golf, but it is a fair test of golf,” he said.
“As you’ve seen, we’ve had some really exciting finishes and a really great list of champions. It’s a golf course that has some scoring opportunities, but it also has areas that can jump up and bite you if you’re not careful.”
FROM LEGENDARY GALLOPERS TO HONEST ABE AND THE SWEETEST OF BOURBONS
Augusta has Amen Corner and St Andrews has The Loop and Swilken Burn. Valhalla has the ‘superb six’ a stretch from 13 through 18th that is picturesque and challenging, a stanza where champions are made.
In a nod to those who enjoy their history, each hole on the course which is build around Floyd’s Fork, a 100km tributary from the Salt River, is a pointer to the rich heritage of the Bluegrass state.
Valhalla is about 25 minutes from Churchill Downs, the most famous horse racing track in America which serves as the home to the Kentucky Derby.
From “Big Red”, the par five 10th eagled by McIlroy on the final day in his 2014 triumph and named after legendary galloper Secretariat, to “The Post”, “Winnings Colors”, “Long Shot”, “Genuine Risk”, “Twin Spires”, “Holler”, “Final Stretch” and the “Photo Finish” at the 18th, the importance of the thoroughbred industry to the state is well-recognised.
The third hole, a 190m par three named “Honest Abe”, recognises Abraham Lincoln, the only US President to hail from Kentucky.
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Ali, who was born in Louisville in 1941, is also recognised via the holes named “Float Like A Butterfly” and “Sting Like A Bee”. “On the rocks” and “Julep” nod to a championship course that sits deep in bourbon country. Bottoms up!
The stunning stretch of six holes that is a favourite of Reese begins with “The Limestone Hole” and “On the rocks”, which were canvassed by Johnson.
“Julep”, named after a bourbon-based cocktail garnished with fresh mint, is the 15th hole. The 400m par four is bordered to the right by Brush Run Creek and a deep bluegrass rough on the left.
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The 16th, which starts the “Homestretch”, is a testing 465m par 4 dogleg with a challenging green complex. The penultimate hole, a 430m par 4, is appropriately named “Straight Up” given the rise that confronts players from the tee.
The championship hole, named “Photo Finish”, is an epic 520m par 5 which leans to the right and culminates in a vast-horseshoe shaped green that offers different putting challenges, depending on the section where the ball lands.
“The last six holes, I think, are fantastic, just a great finishing stretch with some short holes and some long holes,” Reese said.
Scheffler, who is playing his fifth PGA Championship and seeking to go one place better than his tie for second last year, is looking forward to the challenge of tackling Valhalla for the first time.
“This is a place where I feel like when you’re hitting it really well, the golf course can open up for you, (but) there’s definitely a lot of holes where you’ve got to put the ball in play, just with the thick rough,” he said.
“(There is) a lot of good elevation change around this golf course. After playing 18 holes, it seems like a really good fair test of golf. (The par-3s seem pretty difficult. There’s a couple of par-5s you can get after, and then there’s some par-4s that are the same way, but then there’s also a couple par-4s that are pretty challenging.
“I think around this golf course you’ve got a good mix of holes, and as players we look for the best test of golf, not necessarily what the winning score is going to be.
“Just because it’s even par doesn’t mean it was a great test of golf. I think what we’re looking for is to be rewarded for good shots and punished for bad ones, and from what I’ve seen around this golf course, it seems like an appropriate test.”