News
‘The Green Mile’ at Quail Hollow
Since The Wachovia Championship’s inception in 2003, its last three holes have proven to be the most difficult closing stretch on Tour. Now, two weeks after chasing for the Green Jacket, Tour players arrive at Augusta in Charlotte, NC to the challenge ‘The Green Mile’.
No, not the American drama from the 90’s starring Tom Hanks. Rather, The Green Mile refers to three finishing holes at Quail Hollow that have Brandt Snedeker and the rest of the Tour saying, "it’s got to be one of the toughest stretches in golf."
Beginning with the 16th hole , players will have to hit a series of exacting tee shots. At this first of 3 challenging holes, 315 yards off the tee a bunker on the left pinches in, protecting the fairway, creating a strategic angle. While the right part of the fairway slides off to the rough, making it difficult to hold an approach to the narrow green.
The signature hole on the course, 17, is not quite the island green will see next week at Sawgrass. Still, Mickelson points out "17 and 18 are two of the toughest holes you’ll ever see, and to put them back-to-back is very difficult". Since last year, the margin for error on the hole has actually been reduced. By lowering the right side of the green it has "made it a little easier with regards to hitting a shot in there, landing on the green and not going off into the water on the left side." Rory Sabbatini commented. Regardless, a 200-yard tee shot over a water hazard wrapping around an undulating green slanting towards the water will create a difficult challenge even for a pro.
Saving the most difficult for last, the 478 yard, par 4 finish proved as the most difficult hole on the course in 2007; and the fourth most difficult on the PGA Tour. A tight drive will have to navigate the meandering creek on the left and avoid bunkering on the right. Following, an uphill approach to a small green will likewise need to avoid the same creek and a set of bunkers right.
Quail Hollow has been a great addition to the Tour over the past five years. The traditional feel of the course has a strategic simplicity offering risk-reward scenarios on numerous holes. There is potential to capitalize early which is good, since last year The Green Mile offered a meager 13 birdies on Sunday.
Although it will sound like a contradiction, the course played as one of the toughest layouts in 2007 yet at the same time offered the most birdies and eagles of any top 20 course. That is simply the beauty of strategic design. Its about creating a challenge. A course with incredible depth and variety. And Geroge Cobb, landscape architect turned golf course designer, with help from Plamer and Fazio, has done just that.
Through the undeniable temptation to feather shots around the tree lined Quail Hollow’s risk reward layout, this weekend we can be sure that birdies and eagles will be up for grabs in the early going. And come the The Green Mile – they’ll be needed.
With the second major of 2026 now behind us, the PGA Tour arrives in Texas for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
GolfWRX Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, is on site at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, and he’s already captured several WITBs and a look at some new colorways of just-spotted L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i putters.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
- 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #1
- 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #2
- 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #3
WITB Albums
- Brennan Little (Gary Woodland’s caddy) – WITB – 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Adam Svensson – WITB – 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Martin Laird – WITB – 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Lee Hodges – WITB – 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Aaron Wise – WITB – 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Dylan Wu – WITB – 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- AJ Ewart – WITB – 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Pullout Albums
- New Graphite Design Tour AD shafts – 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i putters (new colors) – 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Aaron Rai upset the odds to win his first major championship on Sunday at Aronimink, firing a final round of 5-under par to see off his competitors and claim the winner’s check for $3,690,000.
Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley were the best of the chasing pack, with both men sharing runner-up spot which was good enough for each to receive a check for $1,804,000.
With a total prize purse of $20.5 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 PGA Championship.
Players who missed the PGA Championship cut each received $4,300 each.
1: Aaron Rai, $3,690,000
T2 : Jon Rahm, $1,804,000
T2 : Alex Smalley, $1,804,000
T4: Justin Thomas, $843,866
T4: Ludvig Aberg, $843,866
T4: Matti Schmid, $843,866
T7: Cameron Smith, $637,050
T7: Rory McIlroy, $637,050
T7: Xander Schauffele, $637,050
T10: Kurt Kitayama, $496,707
T10: Chris Gotterup, $496,707
T10: Justin Rose, $496,707
T10: Patrick Reed, $496,707
T14: Matt Fitzpatrick, $364,762
T14: Scottie Scheffler, $364,762
T14: Max Greyserman, $364,762
T14: Ben Griffin, $364,762
T18: Maverick McNealy, $229,128
T18: Jordan Spieth, $229,128
T18: Stephan Jaeger, $229,128
T18: Padraigh Harrington, $229,128
T18: David Puig, $229,128
T18: Harris English, $229,128
T18: Min Woo Lee, $229,128
T18: Joaquin Niemann, $229,128
T26: Nick Taylor, $125,523
T26: Alex Noren, $125,523
T26: Cameron Young, $125,523
T26: Andrew Novak, $125,523
T-26: Daniel Hiller, $125,523
T26: Tom Hoge, $125,523
T26: Sam Burns, $125,523
T26: Hideki Matsuyama, $125,523
T26: Bud Cauley, $125,523
T35: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, $78,805
T35: Patrick Cantlay, $78,805
T35: Ryo Hisatsune, $78,805
T35: Daniel Berger, $78,805
T35: Ryan Fox, $78,805
T35: Haotong Li, $78,805
T35: Aldrich Potgieter, $78,805
T35: Si Woo Kim, $78,805
T35: Martin Kaymer, $78,805
T44: Chris Kirk, $53,743
T44: Matt Wallace, $53,743
T44: Shane Lowry, $53,743
T44: Jhonattan Vegas, $53,743
T44: Denny McCarthy, $53,743
T44: Chandler Blachet, $53,743
T44: Taylor Pendrith, $53,743
T44: Dustin Johnson, $53,743
T44: Nicolai Hojgaard, $53,743
T44: Michael Kim, $53,743
T44: Kristoffer Reitan, $53,743
T55: Collin Morikawa, $34,186
T55: Corey Conners, $34,186
T55: Andrew Putnam, $34,186
T55: Brooks Koepka, $34,186
T55: Mikael Lindberg, $34,186
T60: Sami Valimaki, $29,218
T60: Sahith Theegala, $29,218
T60: Rico Hoey, $29,218
T60: Rickie Fowler, $29,218
T60: Brian Harman, $29,218
T65: Casey Jarvis, $26,900
T65: Jason Day, $26,900
T65: Rasmus Hojgaard, $26,900
T65: Keith Mitchell, $26,900
T65: Sam Stevens, $26,900
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Adam V
May 9, 2021 at 5:43 pm
And not to be a stickler but I thought writers had editors to catch typos and errors? The first paragraph states that “tour players arrive at Augusta in Charlotte, NC to the challenge The Green Mile.??? What???? Augusta is in Charlotte?? Since when? And then the last sentence states “ And come the The Green Mile- they’ll be needed…not sure what that means…oh well….
matt
May 3, 2008 at 11:53 pm
great article…the last 3 are a doozy…but just a minor correction, the bunker on 16 is from the right, not the left, and those who go left of it have to cope with being under a huge oak and an awkward angle to a green that is at most 17 yards deep, usually with wind in your face