PGA Championship: Why practice rounds are vital for major success for Jordan Spieth & Co.
TULSA — Tiger Woods’ opening tee shot of Wednesday’s practice round drifted left off the first tee.
It flew a long way, carrying in the Oklahoma wind and past the fairway bunkers, but it ended up in the rough behind a tree, mostly blocking his view of the green.
No problem. He just teed up another ball and smashed it, this one ending up in the short grass 30 yards past his first.
Wednesday concluded practice rounds ahead of the 104th PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club. It was the final opportunity for the 156-player field to familiarize themselves with the course and get their games in shape to try and lift the Wanamaker Trophy on the 18th green come Sunday.
Although the preparation is intense, the atmosphere is laid back compared to what’s coming Thursday and beyond. Players interacting with fans, hitting multiple shots off tees and on the putting greens and lighter crowds all detail the three days leading up to the second major championship of the year.
More: Tiger Woods, Southern Hills have both changed plenty since 2007 PGA Championship
Some golfers, like Jordan Spieth, said they make extra time for fans because they were once in their shoes.
“I remember going with my dad to the Byron Nelson, and that's all I wanted to do was get my ticket signed by as many guys as I could,” Spieth said. “I'd wait out, just to have that personal interaction. It's really cool.”
Practice rounds also normally go longer than tournament rounds do because of how much players practice on and around the greens.
In most cases, players will hit only one tee shot and one shot into the green, but once they get to the putting surface, it’s time to do homework.
Players, caddies and managers all get to work, playing tees or flat cups that resemble holes at different points on the greens. They often put them in spots where they anticipate hole locations being through the four days, giving them a feel of what a putt does or where they need to hit approach shots.
Another key to learning greens and how they work is learning the best place to miss a shot. Sometimes, being on one side of the hole won’t be as advantageous as being on the other, so players will walk off and around the greens, hitting numerous chip shots from short grass, rough and bunkers to figure out how the ball will react and places they need to avoid come tournament time.
More: 2022 PGA Championship: Hole-by-hole breakdown of Southern Hills Country Club
There also aren’t tee time for practice rounds, so players often match up with friends of whoever is ready to play when they step on a tee box.
Come Thursday, players’ attitude will change completely. It becomes all business, working to capture golf’s biggest prize.
Monday to Wednesday was anything but serious, but the players who prepared the best could shine come Sunday.
Cameron Jourdan covers high school sports across the Oklahoma City metro and state. Have a story idea for Cameron? He can be reached at cjourdan@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @Cam_Jourdan. Support Cameron’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
How to watch 2022 PGA Championship
When: Thursday through Sunday
Where: Southern Hills CC in Tulsa
TV: Thursday-Friday (1-7 p.m., ESPN), Saturday-Sunday (9 a.m.-noon, ESPN; noon-6 p.m., CBS).
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 2022 PGA Championship: Practice rounds are so vital for major success
