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Course Guide: Set in the lowlands of South Carolina, Congaree Golf Club is no ordinary golf club. Established in 2018 and designed by Tom Fazio, the course is set on more than 2,000 acres of undeveloped forest and lakes, which was once a rice plantation.
The architecture has touches of the famous Australian sandbelt courses, with the course hopefully (you never know with the PGA Tour) playing fast and firm as intended. And this course is certainly different to your standard Tour stop-off with masses of sandy waste areas and little rough, so players are either on the fairway or in sand, with elevated greens featuring shaved run-off areas.
Congaree GC, Ridgeland, South Carolina: Designer: Tom Fazio 2017; Course Type: Carolina; Par: 71; Length: 7,655 yards; Holes with Water Hazards: 13; Fairways: TifGrand Bermudagrass; Greens: 6,150 sq.ft average Champion Bermudagrass; Tournament Stimp: 11ft.
Course Designer Links: For research purposes, other Tom Fazio designs include:
- Atunyote GC – Turning Stone Championship 2007-10
- Corales GC – Corales Championship 2018 onwards
- Eagle Point – Wells Fargo Championship 2017
- Raptor Course Greyhawk GC – Fry’s.com Open 2008/09
Fazio has also had re-design input into:
- Conway Farms GC- BMW Championship 2013, 2015 & 2017
- Quail Hollow – Wells Fargo Championship (all bar 2017)
- Seaside Course at Sea Island – RSM Classic
- Riviera Country Club – Genesis Open 2009 onwards
Course Overview: If the PGA Tour allow Congaree to play as intended this week, we should be in for a very entertaining and different tournament as this course is not your standard PGA Tour golf course. The signs are good on the basis that course length and par appear not to have been tampered with – remember TPC Craig Ranch a few weeks back when the toughest par-4 became a short, easy par-5!
At 7,655 yards and a Par 71, Congaree is long and that remains on the PGA Tour scorecard this week. It’s difficult to find comparable courses in the United States: the closest, logical, course is the famous Carolina Low-country classic that is Pinehurst Number 2, where they played the 2014 U.S. Open won at a canter by Martin Kaymer.
Little rough and huge sandy waste areas are pretty much on every par 4 and par 5. Fairways are accommodating in width, but stray and you can become a victim of numerous fairway sharp edges like those found in the Australian sandbelt, with balls plunging into hazards of various guises. All sandy expanses at Congaree are deemed natural areas, so players are permitted to ground their club on address at any point.
The course is relatively flat, with a change of only about 30 feet from its highest to lowest points, but there are some cavernous bunkers and vast waste areas. Sand is simply everywhere on this course. So as well as Pinehurst Number 2, you can add the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island into the ‘shares features with’ list.
Green complexes are also fascinating. Most are raised and few, if any, feature rough. Many are also pitched with slopes angled towards waiting hazards, be that sand or water. There are definite links aspects to this course, with putting from off the green (the Texas wedge), likely to be a well used shot this week. So the ability, as per genuine links courses, to use the ground to your advantage, could well be a real positive this week.
Length-wise, the longest par-4s measure in at 475 (17th), 490 (11th), 510 (9th), 520 (6th), and 540 (8th) yards. The 3rd (360 yards) and 15th (also 360 yards) offer risk-reward aspects. A genuine Par 71 with 3 par-5s, the front side features 2 of them. The 2nd at 595 yards and 4th at 645 yards are certainly on the long side, whilst on the homeward 9, the 12th is the shortest at 580 yards.
With little recent precipitation falling here and 50% chance of thunderstorms across tournament week, hopefully the course will play as a firm and fast as it’s intended.
From an agronomy detail perspective, similar Champion Bermudagrass greens can be found across PGA Tour stop-offs at Quail Hollow (Wells Fargo Championship), Sedgefield Country Club (Wyndham Championship), TPC Southwind (FedEx St Jude Classic and WGC St Jude Invitational), the Country Club of Jackson (Sandersons Farms Championship) and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Barbasol Championship 2015 through 2017). The 2011 PGA Championship hosted at Atlanta Athletic Cub and won by Keegan Bradley also featured Champion Bermudagrass putting surfaces.
Tournament Stats. This is the first PGA Tour event to be played on this week’s track so there’s no prior course or event history to review this week: Current Form | First Round Leader Stats
Published Predictor Model: Our published predictor is available here. You can build your own model using the variables listed on the left hand side. Top 10 of my published predictor are Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, Pat Perez, Kevin Kisner, Peter Uihlein, Scott Piercy, Sungjae Im and Satoshi Kodaira.
Recent Player Skill Rankings: These top 25 in the field rankings are based on an 8-tournament window that stretches back to the RBC Heritage / Austrian Golf Open, which includes PGA Tour and European Tour events. Rankings are based on performance relative to the rest of the field:
- Driving Accuracy: 1) David Hearn; 2) Ryan Blaum / Roberto Castro / Chez Reavie / Brian Stuard; 6) Kramer Hickok; 7) Ryan Armour; 8) Brice Garnett; 9) Mark Anderson / Satoshi Kodaira; 11) Matthew Fitzpatrick; 12) John Huh; 13) Charlie Beljan; 14) Ben Martin; 15) Nate Lashley; 16) J.J. Spaun; 17) Bo Hoag / Sungjae Im / Henrik Norlander; 20) James Hahn / D.A. Points; 22) Johnson Wagner; 23) Danny Lee; 24) David Lingmerth / Chase Seiffert.
- Greens in Regulation: 1) Brooks Koepka; 2) Ricky Barnes / Jonathan Byrd / Roberto Castro; 5) Hank Lebioda; 6) Garrick Higgo; 7) Vincent Whaley; 8) Kramer Hickok / Russell Knox / Luke List; 11) Padraig Harrington; 12) Brice Garnett; 13) Henrik Norlander; 14) Cameron Percy / Scott Stallings; 16) Pat Perez; 17) Bo Hoag; 18) Jason Dufner; 19) Michael Gellerman / Wes Roach; 21) J.J. Spaun; 22) Danny Lee; 23) Joseph Bramlett; 24) Lucas Glover; 25) David Hearn / Jhonattan Vegas.
- Scrambling: 1) Tyrrell Hatton; 2) Sean O’Hair; 3) Shawn Stefani; 4) Ricky Barnes / Jonathan Byrd; 6) Hank Lebioda / Brian Stuard; 8) Alex Noren; 9) Bronson Burgoon; 10) Camilo Villegas; 11) Harold Varner III; 12) Tommy Fleetwood / Russell Knox; 14) Ian Poulter; 15) Garrick Higgo; 16) Mark Anderson; 17) Seamus Power; 18) Lucas Glover / Ben Martin; 20) Scott Brown / Pat Perez; 22) Rafa Cabrera Bello; 23) Danny Willett; 24) Byeong Hun An / Ryan Brehm.
- Putting Average (Putts per GIR): 1) Dominic Bozzelli; 2) Greg Chalmers / Johnson Wagner; 4) Patton Kizzire / Ian Poulter; 6) Brandt Snedeker; 7) Tommy Fleetwood; 8) Garrick Higgo; 9) Nick Taylor; 10) Fabian Gomez; 11) Ryan Armour; 12) Matthew Fitzpatrick / Seamus Power; 14) Aaron Baddeley; 15) Lucas Glover / Tyler McCumber / Danny Willett; 18) Kristoffer Ventura; 19) Keith Mitchell / Patrick Rodgers; 21) Brian Gay / Tyrrell Hatton; 23) Charlie Beljan / Harris English / Michael Gellerman / Sam Ryder / Vincent Whaley.
Recent Player Strokes Gained Rankings: These top 25 in the field rankings are based on an 8-tournament window that stretches back to the RBC Heritage / Austrian Golf Open, which includes PGA Tour and European Tour events. Players rankings are based on performance relative to the rest of the field:
- Top 25 SG Off The Tee: 1) Jhonattan Vegas; 2) Dustin Johnson; 3) Mark Anderson; 4) Brooks Koepka; 5) Bronson Burgoon; 6) Matthew Fitzpatrick; 7) Tom Lewis / Hunter Mahan; 9) Padraig Harrington; 10) Keith Mitchell; 11) Satoshi Kodaira / Ben Martin; 13) Luke List; 14) Charlie Beljan / Ryan Brehm / Garrick Higgo; 17) Danny Lee; 18) Sungjae Im; 19) Sepp Straka; 20) C.T. Pan; 21) Joseph Bramlett / Will Gordon / James Hahn / Richy Werenski; 25) Lucas Glover / Scott Piercy.
- Top 25 SG Approach: 1) Tyrrell Hatton; 2) J.J. Spaun; 3) Seamus Power; 4) Kevin Chappell / Russell Knox; 6) Matthew NeSmith; 7) Wes Roach; 8) Jason Dufner; 9) Hank Lebioda; 10) Ricky Barnes / Luke Donald / Ben Martin; 13) Luke List / Vincent Whaley; 15) Adam Schenk; 16) Camilo Villegas; 17) Patton Kizzire; 18) Harold Varner III; 19) Garrick Higgo; 20) Padraig Harrington; 21) Aaron Baddeley / Andrew Putnam; 23) Jonathan Byrd / Keith Mitchell / Scott Stallings.
- Top 25 SG Around The Green: 1) Fabian Gomez / Seamus Power; 3) Michael Gellerman; 4) Chris Baker; 5) Tommy Fleetwood; 6) Alex Noren; 7) Kramer Hickok; 8) Brandt Snedeker; 9) Danny Willett; 10) Camilo Villegas; 11) Rafa Cabrera Bello; 12) Brooks Koepka; 13) Nate Lashley / Harold Varner III; 15) Tyrrell Hatton / Pat Perez; 17) Byeong Hun An; 18) Garrick Higgo; 19) Jonathan Byrd; 20) C.T. Pan; 21) Ryan Blaum / Ian Poulter; 23) Brian Stuard; 24) Ricky Barnes / Matthew Fitzpatrick.
- Top 25 SG Tee to Green: 1) Brooks Koepka; 2) Tyrrell Hatton / Seamus Power / Jhonattan Vegas; 5) Garrick Higgo; 6) Hank Lebioda / Luke List; 8) Vincent Whaley; 9) Lucas Glover / Harold Varner III; 11) Keith Mitchell; 12) Ricky Barnes; 13) Alex Noren / Satoshi Kodaira; 15) Matthew Fitzpatrick / Kramer Hickok; 17) Ben Martin / Danny Willett; 19) Jason Dufner / Brandt Snedeker; 21) Pat Perez; 22) Tommy Fleetwood; 23) Joseph Bramlett / J.J. Spaun; 25) Bronson Burgoon.
- Top 25 SG Putting: 1) Johnson Wagner; 2) Dominic Bozzelli; 3) Garrick Higgo; 4) Patton Kizzire; 5) Ian Poulter; 6) Matthew Fitzpatrick; 7) Rob Oppenheim; 8) Brandt Snedeker; 9) Scott Stallings; 10) Brian Gay / Sepp Straka / Nick Taylor; 13) Vaughn Taylor; 14) Austin Cook; 15) Doc Redman; 16) Sean O’Hair; 17) Dustin Johnson; 18) J.T. Poston; 19) Alex Noren; 20) Hunter Mahan; 21) Brice Garnett / Ben Martin; 23) Mark Hubbard / Michael Kim / George McNeill / Brian Stuard / Vincent Whaley.
- Top 25 SG Total: 1) Garrick Higgo; 2) Matthew Fitzpatrick / Vincent Whaley; 4) Hank Lebioda / Alex Noren; 6) Brandt Snedeker; 7) Seamus Power; 8) Lucas Glover / Ian Poulter; 10) Ben Martin / Pat Perez / Harold Varner III; 13) Tyrrell Hatton; 14) Dustin Johnson / Danny Willett; 16) Sean O’Hair; 17) Satoshi Kodaira; 18) Brian Stuard; 19) Bronson Burgoon / Adam Schenk / Scott Stallings; 22) Tommy Fleetwood / Russell Knox; 24) Sungjae Im / Brooks Koepka / Jhonattan Vegas.
Weather Forecast: Latest weather forecast for Ridgeland, South Carolina, is here.
Conditions are going to be hot and humid as you would expect in this part of South Carolina in June. Temperatures climbing to 30 degrees Celsius and above cannot be ruled out. Light breeze will be a feature throughout, and as per standard there will always be the chance of afternoon thunderstorms. I’m hopeful for firm and fast conditions.
Of course we enter a new world this week on the PGA Tour, with the one-off Palmetto Championship at Congaree. We must also remember that this week can be a nightmare for tipsters, punters and layers alike with U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying taking place on Monday around 9 locations in United States. Naturally players having to expend effort in those will not be arriving in Ridgeland, South Carolina until Monday evening at the earliest. Expect WDs in the direct build-up to the tournament through Monday and into Tuesday.
Traditionally, the mix of winners across the tournament before the U.S. Open is a little confusing. Up until recently, this week always saw the annual trip to TPC Southwind in Memphis for the FedEx St Jude Classic. Memphis produced 4 maiden PGA Tour victors in the 9 renewals from 2010. That could be something worth bearing in mind. One of those was Daniel Berger who won at TPC Southwind at 33/1 (2016) and 28/1 (2017). For both of his wins ,the Floridian was ranked within the OWGR top 50.
Indeed high-class winners, who had already qualified for the U.S. Open, have won the week before in 2008, 2010 (12/1), 2012 (20/1), 2016 (33/1), 2017 (28/1), 2018 (7/1F) and 2019 (10/1) – namely Justin Leonard, Lee Westwood, Daniel Berger (twice), Dustin Johnson (twice) and Rory McIlroy. They undoubtedly took the opportunity to land a PGA Tour title with no hesitation. So that’s an elite (OWGR top 50 when victorious) winner percentage of 58% across the last 12 renewals, when the U.S. Open has been played in June.
Palmetto Championship – Featured Bookmaker:
