Pro golfer Ernie Els said it is “the fairest and toughest championship golf course I’ve played in all my years as a Tour professional.” Oak Hill Country Club (East Course), which will host the 95th PGA Championship starting Thursday, is among America’s most highly rated courses. It features tough greens (a Donald Ross trademark), tight fairways, and plenty of trees. Built in 1926, Oak Hill measures 7145 yards from the back tees with a slope of 147 and a rating of 76.7. It’s worthy of championship play.
Like many top rated courses in America, Oak Hill is a premier tournament venue. It’s hosted numerous championships over the years including the Ryder Cup, the Senior PGA Championship, the U.S. Open Championship, the US Senior Open Championship, and the U.S. Amateur Championship. Along the way, Oak Hill has seen some memorable shots. No doubt you’ll see some this weekend. Below we describe three memorable shots burned in the memories of many golfers. All occurred at PGA Championships.
Shaun Micheel, 85th PGA Championship, 18th Hole (2003)
This shot, which took place at Oak Hill, is among the PGA Championship’s most memorable shots. Micheel held off a game against Chad Campbell for his first career win thanks to an approach shot on the last hole of the tournament. Using a 7-iron, Micheel drilled a 175-yard approach shot which came just inches of the cup. The shot, one of the most dramatic in PGA Championship history, gave Mickeel a birdie and a two-stroke lead, which clinched the win for him. It was his first win on the Tour, ending a streak of 163 starts without a victory. Micheel went home with a $1.08 million dollar purse for his troubles.
Tiger Woods, 84th PGA Championship, 18th Hole (2002)
Tiger calls this shot the best he’s ever made as a pro. The shot was a major challenge – even for Woods. Thanks to an errant drive on the 18th hole during the second round of the tournament, Woods found himself some 202 yards from the green in a fairway bunker. The lie was below his feet and the wind was blowing at about 20 miles per hour. Using a 3- iron, Woods dropped his shot within 12 feet of the hole. To do it, he had to clear some trees while hooking his shot into the green. Talk about a tough shot. Unfortunately, Woods didn’t win the tournament, which took place at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Rich Beem did.
Y.E. Yang, 91st PGA Championship, 14th Hole
Many golfers remember Yang’s eagle chip from this tournament, which helped him outlast Tiger Woods for the victory, his second on the PGA Tour. Woods and Yang were tied at -6 going into the 14th hole of the tournament, a short par 4 at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Both went for the green from the tee and missed. Woods’s went left. Yang’s went right. Yang then chipped it in from just off the green for an eagle and a two shot lead. Some experts thought the eagle sealed the deal for Yang. But what really sealed the deal was his approach shot on the 18th in the final round. From 210 yards out on the left side of the fairway and with an obstructed view of the green, Yang drilled 3-hybrid approach shot that settled down 6 feet from the hole. Yang’s total for the tournament was an 8 under par 280, three shots better than Woods.
These three shots show how important it is to hit good approach shots. More important, it highlights the benefits of ball control. Master ball control and you’ll almost never be out of a hole. More important, master ball control and you’ll improve your score and have more fun.