JAMES Hahn won last year’s Wells Fargo Championship with a nine-under par score. Don’t expect that number to hold when the Wanamaker Trophy arrives at Quail Hollow this month.
To prepare for the 2017 US PGA Championship, the course underwent major changes. The facelift primarily focused on the front nine, which received three new holes. Quail Hollow’s first hole was dramatically lengthened, to the point that the former second hole was eliminated to allow proper space for the first green. The 521-metre, par-5 fifth was also removed to make way for a new par 3 and par 4. The 11th was altered as well, with a fairway bunker made more challenging off the tee. Finally, the greens were reworked from MiniVerde to Champion, although both are variations of ultra dwarf Bermuda grass.
“I’ve seen the plans for this golf course and it’s only going to make it tougher,” Justin Rose said in May 2016 after the proposed changes were revealed. “It’s going to be in August, so right now we’re playing a nice overseed, which I think is much easier to chip out of. With Bermuda [grass] rough you’ll get flyers and I think the golf course will play incredibly difficult.”
Because the Wells Fargo Championship moved to Eagle Point Golf Club this year, the Quail Hollow course had more time to mature for the PGA. To Phil Mickelson, these modifications could lead to higher scores.
“Can you imagine this golf course with severe rough where you have to play very defensive?” Mickelson said. “I think over-par would end up winning it. It’s a very difficult test. The greens are very challenging and yet its greatness kind of comes out.”
Quail Hollow hosted every edition of the Wells Fargo Championship from 2003 until 2016. Previously, it held the Kemper Open and PaineWebber Invitational. Besides this PGA Championship, the Presidents Cup will visit in 2021.
