2022 PGA Championship: Complete Breakdown and Betting Guide
By Matt Hupfer
PGA Championship: Key Holes at Southern Hills
Both dogleg left par fives are beasts so it’s unlikely that many players will be on in two. The longest hitters probably have the firepower to get home in two, especially downwind, but both greens are well protected by water and bunkers.
When playing from the back tee, the par-three 8th is 251 yards uphill. Depending on the wind and pin position, this could be one of the two hardest holes on the course. The green slopes hard back left towards a creek so don’t be surprised to see players err on the side of caution and come up short.
Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan have both said that Southern Hills’ 12th hole is one of the best par fours in the country. The 12th is a dogleg left with a blind tee shot and a fairway bunker hugging the left side of the fairway. The green is protected by two bunkers long, one on the left, and one in front. The left to right sloping green will funnel poor approaches towards the creek on the right. Palmer might have completed the career grand slam if it wasn’t for this hole. He hit his approach into the water and made double during the final round in 1970. Palmer lost the tournament by two shots in what would be his last of three runner-up finishes at the PGA Championship.
Southern Hills is all about creating the best angles off the tee. This is evident on the most intriguing hole on the course, the short par four 17th. When playing from the tips, the left fairway is the safest tee shot because that’s where players are most likely to find a level lie, and they won’t have to worry about the creek on the right.
This hole is straightforward when the pin is on the right. When the hole is on the left players can either play it safe to the left and give themselves a poor angle or challenge the creek on the right. The right side of the fairway doesn’t have any flat lies, but it provides much more green to work with and a better angle to a left pin.
The kidney-shaped green is bisected down the middle, so the left runs off to the left and the right runs off towards the right. When the tees are moved up this might be the best birdie opportunity on the course. The green will be drivable, but players must be wary of the creek protecting the front of the green. Anything over the green is a tough up and down as the green slopes from back to front.
The par four 18th is going to be the most difficult hole on the course. The finishing hole played nearly a half a shot over par in 2007 and only two of the seven champions at Southern Hills have parred it in the final round. The ridges on the fairway will push balls towards the creek on the right. Players who find the left side of the fairway will face a 200-yard uphill approach. The back to front sloping green is the most severe on the course and has the most protective bunkers. Every player in the field will gladly take four pars on this hole.
