Quail Hollow CC, host of this week's Wachovia Championship, has one of the toughest finishing stretches on tour. Though not as recognizable as the finishing holes at the TPC Sawgrass or Doral, the last three holes at Quail Hollow are major championship worthy. Steve Elling of CBSSportsline.com elaborates...
The PGA Tour annually crunches its numbers to determine the measure of the toughest holes on tour. In the five years since the Wachovia event joined the tour fold, there's no consistently comparable closing stretch like the three-hole run at Quail Hollow.
The terrible treble ranked as the second-toughest closing run among all courses played in 2007. The four others in the top five were Carnoustie, Oakmont, Augusta National and Southern Hills -- sites of the four major championships. Put another way, of the tracks used regularly in PGA Tour competition, the three-part covey at Quail Hollow stands alone. Specifically, the field played the three Wachovia holes at a cumulative 1.05 shots above par last year. Only the British Open at Carnoustie, thanks to the train wrecks of players like Padraig Harrington, Andres Romero and Sergio Garcia, was tougher at 1.09 shots above par.
It's no wonder the players love coming back each year--it's a true test. Ask Vijay Singh, who was at 5-under-par earlier today and tied for the lead as he approached the 16th hole. 45 minutes later, he was in the clubhouse at 2-under.
