The Ocean Course, not the players, will control this PGA Championship

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — The scorecard yardage of seven,876 makes the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island the longest in main championship historical past. As daunting because it sounds, that isn’t the rationale gamers on this week’s PGA Championship look so battered and bruised as they exit the premises.

Sunburned and sullen, the look of exasperation is as a lot concerning the wind as it’s the strenuous stroll and size of the course.

The climate gauges and forecasts may not register fairly as strongly because the wind is definitely whipping off the Atlantic Ocean. Numerous predictions had this being a peaceful week. If that’s the case, what’s it like when it actually blows?

Stroll onto the Ocean Course and there’s at all times a breeze. You possibly can’t miss it, both by way of tussled hair, sand in your eyes or that whistling sound by way of your ears.

And finally, it will get into your head. It occurred Thursday within the opening spherical of the 12 months’s second main championship.

“It’s diabolical,” Bryson DeChambeau mentioned. “You’ve bought to be on level each single gap.”

DeChambeau was raveled after an even-par 72 by which he had 4 straight bogeys for the primary time all season. Even the longest driver on the PGA Tour couldn’t muscle his means by way of the fixed, invisible impediment.

“The wind simply kicked my butt,” he mentioned. “Simply grinding on the market. It takes rather a lot out of you. Working actually, actually exhausting to hit each shot the precise means I need to. It’s windy whenever you’re over a 4-footer. Wind is blowing actually exhausting, and also you assume [the putt is] going to interrupt. When the wind stops, it’s not going to interrupt. It’s all only a actually tough factor that you simply’ve bought to manage on the market. It’s quite a lot of work.”

DeChambeau has been recognized to place quite a lot of thought into his sport — maybe an excessive amount of at instances — however his description very effectively summarizes the concern and loathing that accompanies a spherical of golf right here for many who compete on the highest stage.

And it’s a part of the great thing about the late Pete Dye’s design. When he constructed the course greater than 30 years in the past, the architect, on the suggestion of his spouse, Alice, had the fairways raised so the dunes wouldn’t block the wind coming off the water. The result’s a mix of holes battered by unpredictable east-west coastal winds.

The size of the course affords a essential flexibility to account for predicted winds; tees will be moved ahead on holes enjoying into the wind, again on these on which wind helps. That’s why the precise yardage on Thursday was 7,650 — nonetheless lots stout.

Keegan Bradley, who shot 69, was thrilled.

“This course is nerve-racking and tough,” he mentioned. “To go on the market and shoot that rating, I’m pleased with that.”

For a lot of the day, Bradley’s 69 was locked in a tie for the first-round lead together with two-time PGA champion Brooks Koepka, Viktor Hovland, Aaron Smart and Sam Horsfield. Cam Davis later tied them, that means six gamers stand at 3 beneath.

Late within the day, Canada’s Corey Conners broke from the pack with a few birdies to shoot 5-under 67 for a 2-shot lead. Conners noticed the treacherous remaining 5 holes play barely easier as a result of the wind backed off a bit.

Conners had six birdies and a single bogey and performed the again 9 in 33. He made it look straightforward — even when it wasn’t.

“I’d say it’s not possible to be stress-free round this golf course,” Conners mentioned. “You possibly can’t go to sleep on the market on any holes. It’s very difficult.”

play

Cameron Smith’s tee shot on the par-3 fifth gap practically goes into the outlet, however it bounces proper off the flagpole.

The 18th, seventeenth and fifteenth holes performed because the three hardest on the course. The ultimate gap averaged greater than a half-stroke over par. The scoring common was 74.734.

“You’re holding on for expensive life,” mentioned Koepka, who has received 4 main championships.

And he’s tremendous with that.

“I adore it when it’s tough,” Koepka mentioned. “I believe that’s why I accomplish that effectively within the majors. I simply know, mentally, I can grind it out. Like when it’s windy like this, it’s not a lot placing — it’s extra about ballstriking. I felt like I struck it rather well [on Thursday]. I really feel like that’s why I’ve carried out rather well. You’ve bought to grasp that typically par is an effective rating. You’ve bought to grasp that 30, 35 toes is a good shot typically, and also you’ve simply bought to simply accept it and transfer on.”

Koepka famous how that may be simpler mentioned than carried out.

“You play like 9 straight holes into the breeze,” he mentioned. “The way in which the wind path is coming [Thursday], it’s so tough as a result of it virtually feels straight in — and then you definitely’ve actually bought to concentrate. It comes from like 1 [o’clock], however then it shifts to 11 [o’clock] a bit of bit.

“You’re by no means straight into it. It’s at all times simply barely at an angle. When you simply don’t hit the proper shot or know which means the wind is definitely blowing, you’ll be able to miss it fairly dangerous.”

Amongst those that struggled have been three gamers anticipated to contend — Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas with 75s, and Dustin Johnson, who doubled the 18th gap to submit 76. Adam Scott and Max Homa shot 78. There have been 12 gamers who shot within the 80s.

All informed, 30 gamers broke par on Thursday. However that may be deceptive, as a result of solely Conners bought to five beneath and simply seven gamers shot within the 60s.

“Mentally, it’s a must to present quite a lot of resolve on the market,” DeChambeau mentioned. “Psychological fortitude to only push on when issues aren’t going effectively. Luck isn’t going your means, and also you aren’t getting the most effective breaks. Hitting quite a lot of nice pictures, and issues simply aren’t going your means. You’ve to have the ability to step up and say, ‘You recognize what? It doesn’t matter. I’m simply going to execute the most effective shot I might proper right here.”’

And now simply do it for an additional three days.

As defending champion Collin Morikawa, who shot 70, mentioned: “I hope it does keep windy as a result of it actually exams your capacity to hit high quality pictures.”