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2023 PGA Championship Course Preview – Oak Hill Country Club

2023 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

OAK HILL COUNTRY CLUB

Greetings, DFS Army! It’s Josh Thomas here, (@dfsupnorth) and It’s time for a deep dive into the 2023 PGA Championship. This year’s event being held at the illustrious Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY. This course is known for its rich history and challenging Donald Ross layout, which will surely test the world’s top golfers. Let’s unpack what we can expect from the tournament and how it might shape our DFS strategy.

The Course:

Oak Hill Country Club, founded in 1901, is a prestigious golf club located in Rochester, NY. It is home to two remarkable courses: the East Course and the West Course. The club has played host to numerous prestigious golf tournaments over the years, including three U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships, the Ryder Cup, and several other significant events.

Donald Ross, a legendary golf course architect, designed the East Course in 1925. Ross is known for his exceptional course designs, with over 400 courses across the United States to his name. He was famous for his ability to create courses that blend seamlessly with the natural landscape while presenting strategic challenges to golfers of all skill levels.

Prominent Design Features by Ross at Oak Hill Country Club

Oak Hill’s East Course showcases several signature Ross design elements:

  1. Undulating Greens: Ross was known for designing greens that were subtly contoured and challenging to read. The greens at Oak Hill are no exception, with their numerous slopes and ridges that make putting a true test of skill.
  2. Strategically Placed Bunkers: Ross was a master at bunker placement, often positioning them in locations that force golfers to think strategically about their shots. At Oak Hill, the bunkers are placed to challenge both the golfer’s tee shots and approach shots, demanding precision and accuracy.
  3. Integration with Natural Landscape: Ross’s courses are celebrated for their ability to harmoniously integrate with the natural landscape. Oak Hill’s East Course exemplifies this, with mature trees lining the fairways and the course gently rolling through the natural terrain, providing a beautiful and challenging playing experience.
  4. Risk-Reward Design: Ross’s designs often present golfers with opportunities for aggressive play, balanced by the risk of severe penalties for errant shots. Oak Hill embodies this concept, with holes that offer rewards for well-executed shots but also present significant challenges for those who miss their targets.

Andrew Green’s Recent Renovations

Andrew Green was tasked in 2020 to diligently to restore the East Course to its original Donald Ross design. The most significant changes have been the renovation of bunkers, green complexes, and the addition of tees to lengthen the course.

Green has reconstructed the bunkers to be more penal, embodying the original Ross design. They are extremely steep, but the rough is so thick around them that balls may not even roll back into bunkers which can leave some extremely awkward lies for golfers.

The greens have also been expanded to their original sizes and contours, making them more challenging. This means that golfers with superior bunker play and those who can manage their approach shots will have a significant advantage.

Green has also eliminated hundreds of trees on the course, giving it a much different look than when the 2014 event was held here when Jason Dufner won.

 

Tournament Set-up: 

TPC Craig Ranch

Par: 35-35–70
Yardage: 7,394

Average Green Size: 4,500 sq. ft.
Total Property Acres: 350
Acres of Fairway: 28
Acres of Rough: 90
Number of Sand Bunkers: 78
Number of Water Hazards: 1 (a creek that goes through the course but will DEFINITELY be in play)
Number of Holes Water is in Play: 6

Greens: Bentgrass
Approaches: Bentgrass
Tees: Bentgrass / Poa annua
Fairways: Bentgrass / Poa annua
Rough: Tall fescue/Kentucky bluegrass/ ryegrass mix

The 2020 restoration included replacing the old bentgrass/Poa annua greens with pure bentgrass, restoring shapes and contours of greens, extensive tree removal, bunker removal and relocations, adding new back tees, and a new drainage system.

 

Links to DFS Army Tools

Important Statistics

Given the course’s layout and recent renovations, several statistics will play a pivotal role:

  1. Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG:OTT): The combination of tight fairways and the course’s extended length puts a premium on accurate driving. Golfers who can consistently drive the ball long and straight will gain a significant advantage. I think that we will see players who are shorter find some success here, but the reality is that length to carry some of these cavernous fairway bunkers will be big. The rough will be thick, but not super long so I can see some players trying to employ a bomb and gouge strategy and find some success with it.
  2. Strokes Gained: Approach (SG:A): The renovated green complexes and strategically placed bunkers make approach shots critical. Golfers who excel in this category can create birdie opportunities and mitigate the risk of bogeys or worse. The complexes have some really sneaky pin positions but more importantly missing the green will be a death blow on some of these holes.
  3. Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG:ATG)/Scrambling: With larger, more undulating greens, golfers will need a strong short game to save par when they miss the green. The bunkers are NASTY and could easily add a shot to your score.

These key stats can serve as a starting point for evaluating a golfer’s potential success at Oak Hill. When building DFS lineups or making predictions, consider each player’s current form, tournament history, and how their skill set aligns with these crucial areas.

 

DFS Winning Strategy

DFS Strategy

For your DFS strategy, prioritize golfers who excel in the above-mentioned strokes gained categories. Recent performance in these areas can be a good indicator of a golfer’s potential success at Oak Hill.

Historically, Oak Hill has favored players who are accurate off the tee and strong in their approach game. In the 2013 PGA Championship, the last major held here, players who performed well typically excelled in these areas. Considering Green’s renovations, this trend is likely to continue.

However, be cautious about placing too much emphasis on past performance at Oak Hill. The course has changed, and golfers will need to adapt to its new challenges.

Experienced players who have shown the ability to handle the pressure and challenges of a major championship should be given extra consideration. They have proven their mettle in similar situations and are more likely to perform well under Oak Hill’s demanding conditions.

Don’t forget to diversify your player pool. Golf is inherently unpredictable, and having exposure to a variety of players can increase your chances of hitting the optimal lineup.

 

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Weather:

Weather looks pretty good this week, with the potential for some Wind on Friday morning and then rain overnight on Friday potentially softening up the course for Saturday morning. We could see a slight wave advantage with the Thursday AM/Friday PM tee times, we will keep an eye on it for our DFS Army VIPs and let you know which way to go!

Final Thoughts:

The 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill is shaping up to be a thrilling and rigorous tournament. By understanding the course’s unique characteristics and tailoring our DFS strategy accordingly, we can put ourselves in a prime position to succeed. I will break it all down for our VIPs with my weekly PGA Cheatsheets! Good luck this week!

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