There’s no perfect formula in preparing for Majors; you can either play the tournament before or you can take the week off. It all depends how you feel at the time. I’ve had some success both ways.
Obviously, in the case of this year’s PGA Championship there was no choice in the matter, having not qualified for last week’s Bridgestone Invitational. On the upside, being able to spend last week at home allowed me to work hard on my game and get properly rested and ready for the challenge of competing in the final Major of 2015. This is always a mentally and physically gruelling week, so it’s nice to come in to this Championship feeling fresh.
Also, it feels good to return to Whistling Straits for our third PGA Championship in a 12-year span. They’re bringing the Ryder Cup here in 2020 as well, which further hints at the high regard people have for this golf course. We arrived on Sunday and it’s been fun getting out on the golf course again and seeing what’s in store for us this week; trust me, this place is a little bit special.
When we first came here in 2004 (pictured below) the course was quite benign the first couple of days and the scoring reflected that. Then over the weekend the wind got up, the course played firmer and faster, and Whistling Straits really showed its teeth; in fact, it was a seriously tough test of golf that weekend, especially on the Sunday. I remember playing some nice golf that week, highlighted by a first round 66, and ended up finishing just one shot out of the playoff.
I came out of the blocks pretty fast when we were back here again in 2010, shooting a bogey-free first round 68, but wasn’t able to back that up like I did in 2004 and ended up tied-18th, a respectable week, but not a great week.
It’s fair to say, though, that a lot of the players including me really ‘got’ this golf course. Pete Dye did a great job here; he turned a featureless piece of land into what is by most peoples’ estimation the best imitation of an authentic links course that you’ll see in the United States. I heard his original brief was to create something along the lines of Ballybunion or Royal Portrush, two majestic links courses, and you’d have to say that he fulfilled that brief. As a golf course designer – and an aficionado of links golf – I take my hat off to him for achieving that. Executing an ambitious design concept is something that we successfully achieved in our creations in Dubai and in the Bahamas and it’s no mean feat.
Anyway, Whistling Straits certainly has the multi-faceted challenge that is typical of a links. There are quite a few blind shots and you have to figure out your own way of getting around here and you have to use your imagination and play some shots. At over 7,500 yards it’s a proper test and, as I said before, when the wind starts to blow hard off the lake as it did in the final round in both 2004 and on a couple of days in 2010, it can be brutal. Let’s see how we go this time around.
Finally, staying on the subject of the PGA Championship, I want to thank the 2002 champion Rich Beem, a good buddy of mine and loyal supporter of Els for Autism, who is generously giving his time to host one of our Golf Challenge regional events at University of Texas Golf Club in his hometown of Austin, Texas on August 31st. The team tells me there are still some slots available, so please click here if you would like to take part. Knowing Rich as I do, he’ll make sure you have a fantastic and fun day’s golf.
That’s it for now. Follow me on Twitter @TheBig_Easy.
