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As the KPMG Women's PGA Championship approaches, elite players share their perspectives on the challenges that await at Baltusrol Golf Club. With the awful prognosis of bad weather, including a 60 to 80 percent probability of rain every day until Sunday, players are bracing for a hard test, unlike their practice rounds.
Stacy Lewis highlighted her expectations for the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, stating that the course would be a challenge for all participating golfers.
"I mean, this golf course is going to play hard, and then you're going to add some elements of wind and rain, and it's going to get even harder. It's going to be one of those golf courses that you just have to – when you get in trouble, you've got to get out," she said.
Lewis pointed out the presence of cross bunkers on many of the par-4s, cautioning against aggressive approaches from the rough that could lead to difficult situations.
She emphasized the need for strategic management and continuous up-and-down performances from 100 yards, and she warned that the KPMG Women's PGA Championship might not be a birdie-fest with players relentlessly targeting pins.
What other golfers said about the KPMG Women's PGA Championship
With no rain in the last three weeks, the course has turned firm and fast, confronting players with deep bunkers, thick rough, and unexpectedly tough greens. Members attribute the greens' difficulties to the gravitational pull of "Baltusrol Mountain," which appears to influence putts regardless of direction.
The current weather forecast for the start of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship is 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), with a 37% possibility of precipitation. Winds will blow from the west at a mild 5 mph, with gusts reaching 8 mph.
Nelly Korda highlighted distinct problems on the course of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, mentioning the par-5 holes and the difficult final hole.
"Three of the par-5s are reachable, so obviously I think they're going to make one that's not reachable, so I would say 17 is going to play as a three-shooter. And then 18 obviously if you're in the hunt, you have water down the left and pretty thick rough down the right, and if you're in the right rough, it makes that second shot pretty hard over the water," she said.
Korda further emphasized the need for accuracy off the tee even more, citing the rough at KPMG Women's PGA Championship as a big challenge.
"I feel like just in general," she added. "I've tried hitting 6-irons out and they come out as knuckleballs and dead left, and I think it's going to be a very important golf course to hit the fairways and greens."
Lydia Ko, one of the top contenders, provided valuable insights into the unique challenges posed by KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Course.
"The rough is getting juicy, and I think with the weather forecast, it's not going to be easy when you do hit it in there. But the good thing about this golf course is that the front of the greens are pretty flat, so at least if you do have a long club in, you're able to hopefully chase it up to the front edge of the green."
