Getty Images
The East Course at Oak Hill Country Club is a large golf course. It stretches out to nearly 7,400 yards, contains deep, huge bunkers and features devilish Donald Ross greens. With Oak Hill back in the international spotlight at this week’s PGA Championship, you’re sure to show some teeth.
One of the defenses that the trail will offer is its length and roughness. If the players go too far from the tee, they will be served some merciless lies.
Around the greens, the course will play a little differently than what golf fans are used to seeing at Oak Hill. Although the course has hosted several major tournaments in the past, this will be the first since Andrew Green was restored in 2019. Part of his team’s efforts included adding shortened areas around the greens, forcing players to contend with some squeaky and deceptive lies. stadiums.
But while tightly packed areas will figure prominently in this year’s tournament, there will still be areas surrounding greens with lush roughness. And when players find these spots, they have to be creative to escape and get the ball close to the hole.
For one of the best ways to cut it close to the thick rough, we turn to GOLF Top 100 teacher Jonathan Yarwood and master champion Michael Campbell.
While it may be tempting to try and cut the ball when it’s in a thick rough, the best technique actually requires a bit of finesse. You’ll still want to be aggressive with your shot, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be choppy.
“How I play it is by putting my hand on my left knee,” Campbell says. “[Clubface] The way is open. And then I try to slide it across the grass and let my right hand free under it.”
This technique is somewhat similar to what you see outside the dugout. Open your face, perform a committed backswing, then try to allow the club to glide along the surface while releasing the clubhead and allowing it to pass through your hands on impact.
When this technique is performed correctly, the ball will come out of the thick stuff and land softly on the greens. It’s a shot you’ll see a lot this week, and the player who does it best could walk away with the Wanamaker Trophy.