Rochester (New York), Aug 17: Justin Rose knew what awaited him at Oak Hill from watching videotape of Europe's victory in the 1995 Ryder Cup.
The final two holes were so tough that par was good enough to win. Phillip Walton of Ireland clinched the Cup with a bogey on the 18th.

"I had a picture of those holes in my mind when I arrived here," Rose said. "I was like, 'Wow! this is a brute. If you miss the fairway, you have no chance. If you hit a great tee shot on 17, you're going in with a 3-iron and on 18 you're going in with a 5-iron.
"To win the PGA Championship, you're going to deserve it when you lift the trophy."
It won't be Rose, who missed the cut at 15 over par. He played the final two holes with three pars and a bogey, showing that Oak Hill is a major test from start to finish. But what a finish line!



An additional tee box on the 17th hole stretches it to 495 yards (452 meters), which plays even longer considering the wind is often in the players' faces. Not surprisingly, there have been only nine birdies on the par-4 17th the first two rounds.



"The 17th hole is a par 5, I think, because that green is not set up for a 3-iron or a wood coming in there because it's so firm," Billy Andrade said. "I hit two perfect shots and still walked off with a 5. It's all you want."


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