Your Next Shot: PGA Championship Edition

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By Abby L.

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  • 13 Replies
  1. Abby L.

    Abby L.
    Providence, RI

    Team Titleist Staff

    Hi Team Titleist -

    We’re less than 24 hours away from the first tee shots being launched at the year’s final major. And while we’re not playing in the field this week, we want to see what you would do at Whistling Straits if you were faced with the following scenario ...  

    "Glory," the par-4, fourth hole at Whistling Straits, plays 451 yards from the blue tees. You hit your drive into one of the fairway bunkers on the left, sitting about 175 yards from the center of the green. Straight ahead you have an open fairway before more green-side bunkers on the left-hand side, or a narrow fairway to the right.

    So the question is, what’s your next shot? What club are you pulling? Are you taking aim at the green? Just focusing on getting out of the bunker and finding the fairway to set yourself up for a shot at par? What is your strategy?

    We look forward to reading your responses and seeing what you would do on No. 4 at Whistling Straits.

    Best,

    Abby

    Abby Liebenthal
    Team Titleist Staff 

  2. Chris Hatem

    Chris Hatem
    Boston

    I would be probably be aiming right of the green for that shot. It would probably be a 6 iron or a choked down 5 depending on the wind. Up and down for a par would be a good score. But to really answer the question it would depend on the situation. If I were 2 down already in a match and my opponent was already on the green, I would go for it and aim at the pin. But if its Thursday and I am just trying to make the cut, then I would play it safe out to the right and if it happened to fade (I'm a lefty), that would be a bonus.
  3. Brandon A

    Brandon A
    Springfield, MO

    If the lip of the bunker is low enough, I'll grab my 5 iron and aim for the green. My miss is typically to the right so I'm confident I'll either hit the green with a birdie putt or at least on short grass for a good chance to get up and down for par. If I wind up missing left, my bunker play is strong enough to get onto the green and worst case I drop a shot with a bogey.
  4. Speedy

    Speedy
    East Coast, NH

    Well since my game is not very good out of the bunker so here's my thinking:

    RED: Tee shot to bunker

    BLUE: Laying up and try to get in within 120 to the pin

    WHITE: Laying up with a PW, 48 or 52 Vokey, depending on yardage.  Goal: Try to get within 15 feet from the hole.

    I would be happy with a par or bogey on the #1 HCP hole!

  5. george t

    george t
    Old Lyme, CT

    As others stated, the bunker lip is a big factor, but if it allows, I'd likely choke up a bit on my 24* hybrid and take a run at the center of the green.  Smartest shot?  Perhaps not, but unless I'm really in jail, I have a hard time laying up inside of 200 yards.

  6. tdogg21

    tdogg21
    Chambersburg, PA

    Assuming a playable lie, this would be a rather favorable shot for my current game.  I would take out my 5 or 6 iron (depending on wind and how I was hitting that day) and aim to the right of the green.  Typically I hit nice draw with my irons, so it should curve right on to the green.  But if it happens to go straight or I catch it poorly and it comes up short, I've taken the biggest trouble out of the picture.  My only concern would be ensuring any miss makes it past the bunkers, but also making sure a perfect strike doesn't go over.

  7. Mike C

    Mike C
    Dallas, TX

    As many of the group have said, it depends upon the lie in the bunker and if I can clear the lip or not. 175 yards is a 7 iron so I should have clearance for most shots. I would favor the right side of the green because left is trouble with a capital "T" If I miss right it is a relatively straightforward up and down. If I miss left I may be playing from the beach! If I cannot clear the lip for sure with a 7 iron, I would take a high lofted wedge and layup to a favorite approach distance, favoring he widest part of the fairway to allow for the greatest margin for error.
  8. Bomber3

    Bomber3
    Lake St Louis, MO

    Military

    My second shot depends on the bunker lip and the lie of my ball in the bunker...fairly low lip with a good lie and I'll hit a 6 iron somewhere short and right of the green and then hit a running wedge in hopefully keeping the ball close enough for a one putt - two at worst.  If it's a high lip or poor lie, then probably a 9 iron out to get me into wedge range and then one or two putts to walk away with no worse than bogey.

  9. No'l

    No'l
    Palmdale, CA

    Another great scenario, Abby. I'm wishfully thinking that I have a lie that I could get to the ball without much lip on that bunker- if so, I'll goal to be at short/front right of the green, and hope to get some luck with the up and down. (Christopher H., thanks for the photo.)
  10. Garrison M

    Garrison M
    Hiddenite, NC

    I would try to pick my 6 iron clean and I wouldn't go pin-hunting, I would aim for any slight opening just short of the green. I would aim for this area just in case I mishit the ball or something else I didn't plan for to happen. This would be a difficult decision but I hopefully will have to make it someday. I am ready for the day I get my Tour card, become a Titleist staff member, and can say I made it. Can't wait till I am playing Sunday at the PGA Championship.

  11. Allen L

    Allen L
    Clarington, OH

    Played the Straits a few weeks ago from the front tees and played a respectable game on the par 4's and 5's  while the younger fella's I played with struggled hitting fairways and getting out of trouble.  The par 3's worked me over pretty bad.  Whistling Straits was the most difficult course I have ever played but an awesome bundle of fun, can't wait for a return trip.  Number 4 was a good bogey for me.  To your question.  The bunkers on that hole on the left side of the fairway are below the fairway, and most of the fairway bunkers did not have rakes so you could get a crummy lie, I'd take a get outa jail shot to the fairway and hope for bogey.

    Really anxious to watch the pro's take on this course.

    I'm pretty sure this is number 4.  Yeah, took it down the right side with a little draw.  2nd shot landed short of the green, just couldn't make a one putt for a save.

    Me and my son with our caddy.  Number 18 in the background.

  12. Dan H

    Dan H
    Yulee, FL

    Allen L said:

    Played the Straits a few weeks ago from the front tees and played a respectable game on the par 4's and 5's  while the younger fella's I played with struggled hitting fairways and getting out of trouble.  The par 3's worked me over pretty bad.  Whistling Straits was the most difficult course I have ever played but an awesome bundle of fun, can't wait for a return trip.  Number 4 was a good bogey for me.  To your question.  The bunkers on that hole on the left side of the fairway are below the fairway, and most of the fairway bunkers did not have rakes so you could get a crummy lie, I'd take a get outa jail shot to the fairway and hope for bogey.

    Really anxious to watch the pro's take on this course.

    I'm pretty sure this is number 4.  Yeah, took it down the right side with a little draw.  2nd shot landed short of the green, just couldn't make a one putt for a save.

    Me and my son with our caddy.  Number 18 in the background.

    Great pics Allen and looks like a trip of a lifetime!!  I love Pete Dye courses and there is one thing that I have learned playing several of them in my golf travels but as Allen says it all depends on the lie you get in the bunker.  Pete Dye wants you to go for it and compound your mistake.  The smart play is to layup and try to save Par or Bogey so all depends on the lie.  If you are in the PGA Championship I would definitely layup but playing with buddies I may go for it more than not.  

  13. Sawyer Nix

    Sawyer Nix
    Belton, SC

    Depending on lie, I would pitch up into the wide fairway to a comfortable distance for a third, or would go for it.  I would take an extra club and hit a 5 choked down five iron if I can clear the lip.   If I'm short I can get up and down.

  14. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    As I was actually stocking the tee boxes on that side last week, I didn't find this posting until now. Having watched the double bogies accumulate on this hole, if I was in those bunkers, I'd lay up to the right side to have shot choices to onto the green, take a 2 putt bogie and just hope to get out with a one putt. Going for the pin has trouble left and front spelled double.

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