Tuesday, 9 August 2011

Major Winners Head to Atlanta PGA



The US PGA Championship returns to the Atlanta Athletic Club for the first time since 2001 and you can have a close look at the course with our hole-by-hole guide.

David Toms lifted the trophy here a decade ago while Tiger Woods, back in action after recovering from knee and achilles problems, was the last American to win the event.

The former world No 1 took the title for the fourth time in 2007 and Padraig Harrington, YE Yang and Martin Kaymer have been successful since.

Charl Schwartzel, Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke are the owners of the 2011 majors heading into the year's final big one and young Northern Irishman McIlroy is the bookies' favourite.

1st - 454 yards, par four: New tee has added some 25 yards to the dogleg left. Tall tree line guards the left side of the fairway and well bunkered to the right.

2nd - 514 yards, par four: Normally a par five, but a long and tough four for majors. Narrow landing area with trees and heavy rough down the left. Green reshaped five years ago.

3rd - 475 yards, par four: Prevailing wind is against with bunkers guarding the right side and a green that is deceptively fast from back to front.

4th - 219 yards, par three: A large lake guards the front, left and back of the long, narrow green, while a new tee has added 15 yards. Back-left hole location can stretch the hole to 230 yards.

5th - 565 yards, par five: Twenty-five yards longer than in 2001 and cross bunkers have been added about 100 yards short of the small, well-bunkered green.

6th - 425 yards, par four: Ideal tee shot will favour the left centre of the narrowest fairway on the course. Forward tee at 295 can make the green driveable, but there is a pond front left.

7th - 184 yards, par three: Wide, narrow and undulating green offers a number of difficult hole locations. Pond short, but large bunker is more of a factor.

8th - 467 yards, par four: New tee means it is a 280-yard carry over the corner of the water on this dogleg left. Water and sand short and left of the green, while there is trouble long too.

9th - 426 yards, par four: Bunkers left and right and anyone straying too far right will tangle with rough and be blocked out by trees. Wide green has a variety of challenging hole locations.

10th - 442 yards, par four: Dogleg right with a pair of bunkers guarding the left side of the fairway and another sand trap on the front and left of the green.

11th - 457 yards, par four: Sharp dogleg left with a 290-yard carry over bunkers down the left. Plenty of room right, but it lengthens the approach to a well-protected green with pond on the right.

12th - 551 yards, par five: New elevated tee has added length to this dogleg left. Water protects the right side from 100 yards out from a relatively small and shallow green.

13th - 372 yards, par four: Shortest and tightest par four on the course. A sharp dogleg right with tall pines lining both sides and a slightly elevated green.

14th - 468 yards, par four: Slight dogleg right with massive bunkers protecting both sides. Ideal tee shot will be left centre, leaving an approach to the most severe green on the course.

15th - 260 yards, par three: The hole David Toms aced during his 2001 victory plays extremely difficult with a large pond on the right. New highly-elevated tee has been added.

16th - 476 yards, par four: Narrow, long, uphill par four with new tee adding 35 yards and bunkers introduced down the right. Landing area tightens the further you drive it.

17th - 207 yards, par three: Huge lake surrounds most of the green. Beyond the green is dry, but well protected by bunkers and very difficult to stop any shot coming back downhill towards the water.

18th - 507 yards, par four: Played as the hardest hole in 2001, with Toms securing the title by laying up short of the water, hitting a wedge to 12 feet and making the par putt.

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