TULSA, Okla. — The best golfers in the world rolled into Tulsa this week to play on the course at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa.
"They have lengthened it, changed it, and it will be a good test," says Tiger Woods, who won the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in 2007.
"I think there's more slope in some of these greens. Obviously there's more waves in the fairways and hitting very different clubs off of tees. But still, it's a challenge, and I said earlier, I think [PGA Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haig] is going to set it up -- I think he's going to do a wonderful job setting it up. It's going to be hard. It's going to be fair," Woods says.
Woods is coming off of a car crash that threatened his career early last year. This is his second major start since the crash.
Rory McIlroy, who Woods is grouped with for the start of the tournament, hasn't played the course before.
"Yesterday was the first time seeing the golf course," McIlroy said. "I really liked it. I didn't know what this place was like before Gil [Hanse] got his hands on it, but I think he's done a wonderful job with it. Love the green complexes. I love that he gives you options off the tee."
The field at Southern Hills also features several players with ties to Oklahoma. Former Oklahoma State Cowboy Talor Gooch says he's played the course roughly a dozen times — but that might not be an advantage.
"Maybe, but I've only played it once since they kind of redid it a couple years ago," Gooch says. "It's different enough now than what it was previously that it — you know, hey, there's so many guys out here that have seen this course and have seen this course here in the last few weeks that's what's great about this course is there's no tricks. It's pretty straightforward."
Gooch is one of three PGA Championship contenders who played at OSU. Viktor Hovland and Rickie Fowler both have experience at the course too.
"I remember there being a lot more trees the first time I came here," Hovland says. "They have added a bunch of length and they have made it a little bit more open, but at the same time you still have to drive it really well out here. So from that aspect, I feel like it fits me really well."
Former Oklahoma Sooner Abraham Ancer agreed that this weekend's course presents a new kind of challenge even for those who've played it before.
"I knew the golf course was beautiful," Ancer said. "I can remember it was tough, but it was before they redid it obviously, so it has changed a little bit, yeah."
The field tees off starting Thursday morning. The PGA Championship released tee times and groupings on Tuesday.
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