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How difficult is Bethpage Black? Let’s take a look at the toughest holes!

PGA Championship 2019: The toughest holes at Bethpage Black, ranked!

Bethpage Black is no stranger to big-time golf. It hosted the U.S. Open in both 2002 and 2009, and it’s also twice staged the Barclays Championship during the FedEx Playoffs. Soon New York’s most beloved muni will again take center stage as a first-time venue for the PGA Championship.

Stretched to more than 7,400 yards, Bethpage Black is known to feature 18 tough holes. At the ’02 Open, one player broke par for 72 holes (Tiger Woods), and in ’09 just five finished in red numbers. So which of these 18 brutes is the biggest beast of them all? Below is how we’d size them up, and as a guide, we’ll use how they ranked from 1 (most difficult) to 18 (least difficult) at the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens.

18. No. 14: Par 3, 161 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 18 (2.903 scoring average)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 17 (2.975 scoring average)

The tee box here is about 15 feet above the green, and the little par 3 checks in as one of just two holes to play under par in both U.S. Opens. So, almost by default it ranks as Bethpage’s easiest heading into this PGA.

17. No. 4: Par 5, 517 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 16 (5.011)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 18 (4.740)

Bethpage’s most gettable par 5 is a fun, strategic hole where big hitters will have the option to go for the green in two, and short hitters or errant tee shots have a variety of spots to lay up.

16. No. 13: Par 5, 608 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 17 (4.941)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 16 (4.986)

En route to another heartbreaking runner-up finish, Phil Mickelson made eagle here in the final round in ’09 to tie Lucas Glover for the lead. Expect more fireworks here this year – and look for that Mickelson highlight on the CBS broadcast a time or two.

15. No. 2: Par 4, 389 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 13 (4.204)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 15 (4.065)

One of the few birdie holes, pros at past majors hit wedges into the green and will likely do the same at the PGA.

14. No. 6: Par 4, 408 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 14 (4.202)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 14 (4.088)

This hole is gettable but the putting surface is surrounded by bunkers, so no running it up. This is also the last time you’ll see the word “gettable” on this list.

13. No. 9: Par 4, 460 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 15 (4.086)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 12 (4.109)

Another long, brutal par 4 with a bunker just left of the fairway. Two bunkers also guard the green. It’s like a quick jab before No. 10 (see below) lands an uppercut.

12. No. 1: Par 4, 430 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 9 (4.259 scoring avg.)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 13 (4.100 scoring avg.)

The opening hole is famous for the warning sign stuck on the fence just behind the tee box. There were 99 bogeys, doubles and others here in ’09 against 63 birdies.

11. No. 18: Par 4, 411 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 11 (4.220)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 11 (4.123)

Fairway bunkers are everywhere on both sides and the green is pitched back-to-front. But because of its relatively short length, 18 actually presents a chance for a closing birdie – as long as a player hits the fairway off the tee.

10. No. 3: Par 3, 230 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 12 (3.211)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 6 (3.181)

Players need to fly a massive front bunker, but going too long is also trouble, as anything off the back runs down a hill. It was the toughest par 3 at the 2009 Open.

9. No. 8: Par 3, 210 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 8 (3.334)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 10 (3.123)

The tee is more than 40 feet above the green, so it’s a great hole for television.

8. No. 17: Par 3, 207 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 10 (3.224)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 9 (3.137)

In past majors, this hole was flanked by grandstands that further accent the natural, hilly amphitheater behind the green. Fans crank it up, and in terms of noise, excitement and overall atmosphere, this hole vaguely resembles 16th at TPC Scottsdale. (Imagine how it’ll be at the 2024 Ryder Cup!) It’s going to be a blast at the PGA, and will likely be the most exciting spot on the course.

7. No. 11: Par 4, 435 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 7 (4.376)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 8 (4.146)

This hole shares fairway bunkers with No. 10, and the landing zone bottlenecks. Two bunkers guard the front of the green, so the second shot is key.

6. No. 16: Par 4, 490 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 6 (4.411)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 7 (4.162)

This is where Sergio Garcia made an obscene gesture at a group of hecklers in 2002. Will New Yorkers continue to dog Sergio at the PGA?

5. No. 7: Par 4, 524 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 4 (4.479)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 4 (4.355)

This one is a par 5 for the paying public, but it’s a par-4 when hosting majors. Anyone who drives it into the left fairway bunker may have to chop out and play it as a par 6.

4. No. 5: Par 4, 478 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 5 (4.422)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 3 (4.390)

The tee box is elevated from the fairway, but the green here is about 20 feet above the short grass. It looks like a dogleg from the tee box but actually plays straight. A cool, optical illusion.

3. No. 10: Par 4, 502 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 3 (4.499)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 5 (4.350)

Seven bunkers flank the fairway landing zone, and there’s a valley between the fairway and putting surface. The green also features more undulations than most Bethpage surfaces. There will be some big numbers here – in ’09 there were 147 over-par scores and just 24 birdies.

2. No. 12: Par 4, 515 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 2 (4.523)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 2 (4.431)

Many players will likely try to bite off some of the left-dogleg on his this long par 4 … hopefully while avoiding the fairway bunker perched on the corner. The second shot is mostly blind. This hole gave up just 20 birdies in ’09.

1. No. 15: Par 4, 457 yards

2002 U.S. Open Rank: 1 (4.600)
2009 U.S. Open Rank: 1 (4.470)

It was the toughest hole on the course in each of Bethpage’s U.S. Opens, and there’s no reason it won’t defend the belt this time around. Expect a fair number of layups from players who miss the fairway with their drives. This uphill trek to the green is so steep, locals reportedly sled down it in wintertime. In ’09 it yielded just 17 birdies and 180 over-par scores. Sounds brutal.

In fact, it sounds like Bethpage.

SOURCE: golf

May 15, 2019/by Teesnap Developer

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While his technique is ever-evolving, it’s always worth studying, to say nothing of copying.

Five steps to copy Tiger Woods’s swing technique

As last season proved, a healthy Tiger is a scary Tiger. While his technique is ever-evolving, it’s always worth studying, to say nothing of copying. Check out the keys to his swing below.

Muscle Matters

There’s no denying it—Tiger’s arms are still jacked! And they’re not for looks. Woods understands that at the highest levels, golf is a power game that taxes every muscle. Tiger continues his legacy as the original Tour gym rat, and if his arms are any indication, he has zero plans to let the youngsters on the Tour outwork him.

High Flyer

You can tell from his finish below that Tiger has launched a higher-than-normal approach. He’s extending his lower spine up and toward the target. It’s a great move for any swing— if your back can take it. Looks like Tiger’s finally can.

Back in Business

Players with bad backs rarely swing to a full finish, let alone a high one like this. As with his knees, Tiger’s back looks ready for prime-time— the slight lean back or subtle “reverse C” is impossible to achieve when the back is in distress.

Bottom Gear

Is there really something to “glute activation” after all? You bet. There’s no better way to produce serious clubhead speed than by firing your glutes and squeezing your thighs together through impact. The combo causes your body to decelerate at just the right moment, allowing the club to pick up speed and whip through.

nee Brace

Tiger’s healed left knee below can once again handle the torque created by his swing. His left foot is nearly flat on the ground, even this deep into his followthrough, providing the stability he’s been missing for years. If your knees aren’t as healthy as Tiger’s, set up with your feet flared, or allow more weight to roll to the outside of your spikes.

SOURCE: GOLF

April 23, 2019/by Teesnap Developer

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Eight shots players face that might not capture our eye immediately.

Masters 2019: The eight most underrated shots at Augusta National

Bob Jones once said of Augusta National, “We want to make bogeys easy if frankly sought, pars readily obtainable by standard good play, and birdies—except on par 5s—dearly bought.” And over the years Masters fans, both in person and via television have come to recognize some of the more obvious places where that holds true. The tee shot at the par-3 12th or anywhere on the No. 11 through No. 13 stretch known as Amen Corner, for that matter. The second shot on the par-5 15th is another visible example. However speaking with more than 15 past champions for the hole-by-hole course tour section of the Masters Journal—including multiple champions Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Nick Faldo—has led to an appreciation for the more subtle but no less demanding shots one needs to pay close attention to if they’re to play well at Augusta National. Here are eight shots players face that might not capture our eye immediately, but surely command players’ attention.

The second shot on the par-5 second hole
Whether going for the green in two or playing for position short of the putting surface, what many think of as simply another fairway wood or long iron play is actually a precision play. The plan for how to approach this shot completely depends on where the pin is located. If the pin is back left, the second shot must be to the middle or right. In fact, well right of the green is never bad because the pitch shot is uphill. Conversely, missing left leaves a downhill shot that is tough to stop. Most Masters competitors will tell you the sand is a better place to be than left or long. As for going for it in two blows, that’s an awfully tough shot as it is off a downhill lie and you’re trying to hit it high and soft. That’s difficult for even the most skilled players. The par 5s at Augusta National are more about where you place the ball on your second shot than anything else and perhaps there is no better example than No. 2.

Second shot on the par-4 third hole
The shortest par 4 on the golf course at 350 yards also presents one of the approach shots Masters participants fear most. Although a mere pitch of only some 50 yards for those hitting driver off the tee, the elevated green (only some 35 feet in depth on the left side) can turn what appears to be a very simple situation to a trying one in short order. The shot, although short, must be exact. Come up the slightest bit short and the ball will embarrassingly roll back almost to where it was struck from. Take too much caution not to do that and the ball might end up over the green, leaving a nervy chip. Rarely has such a short shot provided so much consternation for players.

The putt from the top right of the green on the par-3 fourth hole
Usually hitting the green on the 240-yard, par-3 fourth hole would be a satisfying play. However, if the pin is located on the front left and the tee shot is equal or past the hole on the right, an argument can be made that the player is facing one of the most difficult putts on the entire golf course. From there the slope is falling away from you with a fairly big swing to the left and the odds of a two-putt drop dramatically. Tiger Woods had a chip shot from the right-hand side of the green in the final round of 2002 and said it might have been easier than Retief Goosen’s putt from the top right. Woods made par and Goosen made bogey, so apparently so.

The tee shot on the par-4 fifth hole
Although the tee shot on this hole in prior years wasn’t a gimme, it wasn’t exactly a cause for angst, either, as players had the ability to carry the fairway bunkers on the left or comfortably play out to the right side with a 3-wood. That’s changed in 2019 as the tee has been moved back some 40 yards and to the right, making it play straighter. The bunkers also have been moved (although, in true Augusta National fashion they look the same as ever to the eye), now requiring a 310-yard-plus carry to clear them. With that being a non-starter for most players, the choice is to lay up short of them, leaving an uphill approach of some 200 yards or try to thread it in the fairway to the right of the bunkers with a driver. Regardless, what once was benign has now become beastly.

Tee shot on the par-3 sixth hole
Three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo once called Augusta National, “the most nerve-wracking course in the world.” A microcosm of that is the tee shot on the par-3 sixth, particularly when the pin is located on the back right shelf. In that instance, the generous-sized green shrinks significantly in usable size. “I’ve always regarded the tee shot here to the back right-hand pin as my barometer for the week,” Faldo told the Masters Journal in 2006. “During practice rounds I aim for that spot and if I keep putting it up there, then it means my iron game is accurate. To fly a ball from 180 yards down a hill in a breeze to an area about the size of two dining room tables, well, you know your game is spot on.”

Second shot on the par-4 14th
The 14th has the distinction of being the only hole at Augusta National without a bunker. It doesn’t need one. While it lacks the glamour of the water holes on the second nine, 14 is a good, solid par 4 and one reason is the approach to a green that took some imagination to design. Although there are some pin positions that are accessible, there are others where the margin for error is slight. The green has a large swale in front and shoots off in several directions. That’s why approach shots—even ones struck just a few feet off line—can roll away from the hole some 30 or 40 feet or more.

The lay-up shot on the par-5 15th
We know, we know. We don’t want to be talking about no stinking lay-up on one of the most exciting holes on the golf course. But the saying about a man knowing his limitations comes to mind here. Masters competitors often face two decisions here. Whether to go for it in two is one. When golfers decide the prudent play is to lay up short of the water, then it’s where to lay up. Although most everyday players view a lay-up shot as simply slapping it down the fairway short of the penalty area, the pros know a lay-up shot is like a shot in billiards where the current shot is played to best set up the next. At 15, almost without exception, it’s about 80 to 90 yards from the pin and on the left side of the fairway. That, players say, leaves a flatter lie than on the right-hand side and offers a better opportunity to spin the ball off the flatter lie.

Putt from left side of the green on the par-4 17th
With all the dramatic looks on Augusta National’s second nine, the 17th hole appears to be a bit nondescript, especially since the Eisenhower Tree came down in an ice storm in 2014. The green, however, requires a player’s full attention as it is a deceiving putting surface that rolls off in several directions, with the slopes seemingly never bringing the ball towards the hole, but rather work it away from it. Raymond Floyd fell victim to the hole in 1990, when he appeared to have the Masters won. Holding a one-shot lead playing the 17th, Floyd got a little careless with his approach and it trickled to the left side of the green, with the pin on the opposite side. Now having to putt up and over the ridge, Floyd misjudged the speed and three-putted, eventually losing to Nick Faldo in a playoff.

Gary Player once said of Augusta National that “every shot is within a fraction of disaster. That’s what makes it so great.” The above shots would appear to further solidify Player’s claim.

SOURCE: Golfdigest

April 11, 2019/by Teesnap Developer

Latest News

How difficult is Bethpage Black? Let’s take a look at the toughest holes!

While his technique is ever-evolving, it’s always worth studying, to say nothing of copying.

Five steps to copy Tiger Woods’s swing technique

Eight shots players face that might not capture our eye immediately.

Masters 2019: The eight most underrated shots at Augusta National

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