The Rundown: 2023 PGA Championship
The year's second major is finally here as the golf world gathers once again at historic Oak Hill Country Club for the 2023 PGA Championship. The lackluster PGA TOUR schedule since April's epic Masters has us chomping at the bit for what should be an incredible week from the best field in golf.
This week presents no shortage of interesting storylines: Can Jon Rahm resume his stellar season and collect his second-straight major? Will Jordan Spieth finally conquer the PGA in his pursuit of the career grand slam? Can Rory McIlroy regain his form, or will Brooks Koepka win his third Wanamaker Trophy and LIV's first major?
Here's everything you need to know about the East Course at Oak Hill and some notes to keep in mind when making your bets for the 2023 PGA Championship.
course notes & quotes
Constructed in 1926 under the direction of famed 'Golden Era' architect Donald Ross, the East Course at Oak Hill has one of the richest traditions of any course in the country. In fact, the East Course is the only American golf course to host all six rotating men's golf championships, including three U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships and the 1995 Ryder Cup.
The last time the world's best came to Oak Hill was the 2013 PGA Championship which saw Jason Dufner capture his first and only major title. But the East Course that will greet the 156-man field this week is almost unrecognizable from the 2013 edition. After decades of renovation to keep Oak Hill relevant in the major championship conversation, the layout had become so far removed from Ross' original design that the membership felt it was time to return the course to its former glory.
In 2019, Oak Hill brought in architect Andrew Green to wind back the clock on the storied venue. He restored the unique, angular putting surfaces that were a trademark of Ross' design and beefed up the bunkering with steep faces surrounded by thick rough in a style that Green described as "aggressive."
"These bunkers are hazards," Green said in an interview with the Fried Egg. "They are not for the faint of heart. You need to avoid them."
Bruising Bunkers
“These bunkers are hazards. They are not for the faint of heart. You need to avoid them.”
— Andrew Green on the reshaped bunkers at Oak Hill
Green also added shaved runoff areas to several greens and reworked the 5th and 6th holes to recapture the magic of the famous par-3 6th (now 5th). Somewhat controversially, Green also removed a large number of trees which were a calling card of the storied course but admittedly crowded the fairways and made each hole look too similar.
The result is a 7,394-yd par-70 beast that should provide the toughest test these pros have seen since The Country Club last year. The bentgrass greens and fairways are surrounded by a mix of tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass rough that is getting nice and juicy according to reports on the ground. The 78 bunkers throughout the course are true hazards that must be avoided, with the steep faces likely to force plenty of sideways shots just to get out of trouble. There's only one water hazard on the grounds of the East Course, but the winding Allen's Creek comes into play on six holes and bisects the fairway on Nos. 1, 6, 7 and 13.
Like most major championship setups, Oak Hill requires precision on nearly every shot. Long, tight fairways surrounded by lush rough will test these guys off the tee, while elevated putting surfaces protected by viscous bunkers demand accuracy on approach. And you can count on the bentgrass greens to be quick with dry weather expected until a chance of showers on moving day.
While we've seen winning scores at -8 or better in three of the last five PGA Championships, the scoring at Oak Hill could be tougher to come by.
Course Insights
Not much of Oak Hill's extensive major championship history will prove too useful when handicapping this year's event. The last TOUR event here was ten years ago, and let's face it, skillsets like Jason Dufner's probably aren't gonna cut it on this longer and more difficult version of Oak Hill. That said, here are a few notable insights on the course that could identify which players are a good fit this week.
Par-5 Scoring
Par-5s are usually a reprieve on difficult setups, but the two at Oak Hill are far from easy scoring chances, making red figures on these holes even more valuable. Both of them measure over 600 yards, so only the longest hitters will be challenging the well-protected greens with their second shot. Par-5 scoring is always a key indicator of success at the majors. Looking back at similar setups from each of the last two PGAs and U.S. Opens, the winners and runners-up combined averaged almost six strokes under par on the par-5s, proving that good scores on the longest holes are a must on courses where there are no gimmes.
Carry Distance
Like most TOUR setups nowadays, longer hitters off the tee will have the advantage at Oak Hill for various reasons. At first glance, the East Course's length can seem less daunting, but on a par-70 with cold conditions and elevated putting surfaces, this week will demand long carries both off the tee and on approach. Half of the par-4s are over 460 yards, including three north of 490. With so few opportunities to hit wedges into greens, the bombers who can give themselves more looks with short-to-mid irons will get the height required to hold some of these elevated greens.
Betting picks & plays
With a field as stacked as this one, there's no shortage of enticing plays to bet this week. I did my best to keep it to just a few in the column, but if you want the full card later this week, drop me a follow on Twitter. As always, be sure to check out the Tour Junkies Blog throughout the week for more picks and insight from the rest of the gang, including the latest Around the Clubhouse column to catch up on the latest buzz going into Oak Hill. With that said, here are a few notable numbers that will likely show up on my betting card this week.
Jon Rahm (+800, T10: -115)
I hate to go chalk right off the top, but after weeks of criminally low odds for Jon Rahm, I've got to take this opportunity to get the world's best player at a more reasonable number. He and Scheffler are the two clear favorites as the only players with sub-10/1 odds at most books, but with both right around 7/1, give me Rahmbo over Scottie all day. There's not much to add that everyone doesn't already know. Every course is a great fit for Rahm with how good he's been throughout the bag, but I especially like him on a difficult setup where the top players really shine. It's simple: Oak Hill will reward the best players, and there's nobody better than Rahm right now.
Tony Finau (+2500, T10: +240,T20: +105)
I love way too many guys in this 20/30-to-one range, and I'll likely have some units on Koepka, Young and Fitzpatrick. But for the sake of the column, this feels like a good spot for Tony Finau to finally grab his first major victory. The 33-year-old has 10 career top-10s across all four majors including two of the last three PGAs. He also finished T8 in the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, a course that is drawing a lot of comparisons to the revamped Oak Hill East Course. He has the length off the tee and long iron skill required to contend here, ranking No. 1 on TOUR in SG: APP so far this season, and he's behind only Rahm and Scheffler in SG: Total. At 25/1, you're getting arguably the third-best player in the world at the seventh-shortest odds.
Adam Scott (+7500, T10: +650, T20: +280)
Adam Scott is quietly playing excellent golf, notching back-to-back top-10s in the leadup to this week. He finished T5 in the designated Wells Fargo at bomber-friendly Quail Hollow and followed that up with a T8 last week at the Byron Nelson. He's shown he can score on similarly tough major setups with nine-career top-10s in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. He also ranks 23rd on TOUR in driving distance and eighth in approach proximity from 200+ yards, two areas that will come in handy this week at Oak Hill.
Patrick Reed (+9000, T10: +750, T20: +300)
Saving the LIV for last, I'm interested in Patrick Reed as a longshot T10/T20 play. Maybe it's the Masters memories clouding my judgment, but the former champ reminded everyone of what he can do during a major week. He's only missed eight cuts in 34 major appearances and has eight-career top-10s at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. He finished T13 at Winged Foot in 2020, flashing the elite recovery game out of the rough that will be a factor on a similar setup at Oak Hill. Reed should benefit more than most from the cool temperatures and tough driving conditions, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him make a run if this week turns into a single-digit scoring slog.
Meet the Author:
Nate Moore
A Georgia native, proud UGA alum and former media guy for Augusta National, the only thing Nate Moore loves more than the Peach State is a Top-20 parlay. Nate is a golf-obsessed sportswriter/journalist who brings his experience in the golf industry to the Tour Junkies brand.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and commentary in this post belong to its author and do not necessarily represent the Tour Junkies as a whole.