13-05-2025
PGA Championship: How Quail Hollow 3 Green Mile Holes Will Decide a Winner
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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As in every golf tournament (even more so in major championships), the Quail Hollow Club course will be one of the main protagonists of the upcoming PGA Championship. It is one of the most difficult tests of golf on the PGA Tour schedule, and it will certainly be no less so this weekend.
However, all players have their sights set on the so-called "Green Mile", knowing that it is there that their fate will most likely be decided in the second major of the season.
It is the final stretch of Quail Hollow, the last three holes that have the distinction of being the toughest on the course and some of the toughest in America.
Suffice it to say that a player like Rory McIlroy, who has won four times at Quail Hollow, played the "Green Mile" in 1-over in 2021 and 2-over in 2024 to win his third and fourth Wells Fargo Championship titles, respectively.
Meanwhile, Justin Thomas played this stretch at a very rare even-par score during the final round of the 2017 PGA Championship, when he lifted his second Wanamaker Trophy.
A general view of the 18th hole ahead of the 2016 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club on May 11, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A general view of the 18th hole ahead of the 2016 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club on May 11, 2016 in Charlotte, North Green Mile measures 1,251 yards. It consists of the 540-yard, par-4 16th hole, the 211-yard, par-3 17th hole and the 505-yard, par-4 18th hole.
Let's take a closer look:
Hole No. 16
The start of the "Green Mile" is the very long par-4 16th hole. At 540 yards, it is only 25 yards shorter than the par-5 15th.
At first glance, this hole presents few difficulties, with only one bunker to the right of the middle fairway and another to the right of the green. But that feeling disappears when you consider the massive water hazard that enters from the left and completely surrounds the green, leaving only a tight access by land.
Add to this the narrowness of the fairway, which becomes even narrower as it approaches the green, pushed inward by the water on the left.
It is a hole where the player must give priority to accuracy without neglecting the long shots.
Every Hole At Quail Hollow in two minutes.
Enjoy. 🍿 — Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 10, 2025
Hole No. 17
The second hole of the Green Mile has practically no fairway, as it is almost entirely occupied by a lake. The water hazard itself reaches the green and almost completely surrounds it.
As if that were not enough, the side of the green that connects to the fairway slopes downhill, so balls that do not hit the putting surface directly run the risk of rolling all the way into the water.
Accuracy is essential for an acceptable score on this difficult hole. Anyone walking away with par will be thrilled and skip on over to 18.
Hole No. 18
Quail Hollow is unique in that the most difficult hole is the last. Hole 18 is another long par 4 with a creek running along the left side of the fairway and green.
A bunker about 300 yards from the tee on the right side of the fairway forces players to stay in the middle of the fairway, which is not easy given its narrow design. The fairway narrows even more as it leads to the green, which has two more bunkers on the right, which together with the stream make for a difficult test.
Once again, players will need to play long and try to minimize the spread of their shots. The players who can best combine accuracy with distance will be the ones who can best overcome this super difficult challenge.
During the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, only three players of the 156-man field played this stretch under par.
Meanwhile, 88 double bogeys were recorded.
It is an incredibly difficult stretch of golf that will test the best of the best, and likely determine a champion come Sunday.
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