The winner of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will need all facets of her gaming firing as she takes on a big-time field at a big-time golf course.
And if the 2022 champion is hoping to score well, they’re going to have to make sure to do it on Congressional Country Club’s four par fives.
Congressional, a long-time host of men’s majors but a first-time host venue for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, has two par fives on each of its nines. The first is on No. 6, a long hole with plenty of options both off the tee and into the green. The second par five is the closing hole of the front nine, and it’s a thinking woman's hole. A recent renovation has seen the fairway-crossing ravine now sit 30 yards closer to the tee – causing players to think about going over it.
The par-5 11th also underwent some changes. It previously was the straightest hole on the property but is now the most dynamic.
The final par five, No. 16, is another one that really makes golfers think. Both line and distance will need to be picked strategically by golfers twice before reaching the putting surface. The tee shot hits a landing zone that looks wider than it plays, while the second shot allows for golfers to be as aggressive as they’d like to be. However, if they miss their target or distance they will get penalized.
585 yards. Par 5. How would you play the 16th hole at Congressional?
— KPMG Women's PGA Championship (@KPMGWomensPGA) June 4, 2022
Just 16 days until we find out how the best will do it at the #KPMGWomensPGA! pic.twitter.com/rUREvEKghe
When it comes to playing the par fives well, starting with a solid tee shot is always beneficial. According to KPMG Performance Insights, Emily Kristine Pedersen leads the LPGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (and also Driving Distance).
But at this year’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, it’s worth looking at a past winner who could dominate the par fives and find herself in the winner’s circle once again.
Brooke Henderson, who won the ShopRite LPGA Classic for her 11th Tour title in early June, is second on the LPGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and is sixth in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. Her top-tier driving and ball striking always makes her a threat when it comes to playing par fives – and to win the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
