This week’s LIV Golf stop is unique on a few different levels.
As the league makes its first-ever trip to Hong Kong, its players will be teeing it up at Hong Kong Golf Club, a par-70 track that measures to just 6,710 yards. It’s one of two courses that LIV will visit this season that plays less than 7,000 yards in addition to Real Club Valderrama in Spain, where the league will be July 12-14. It’s rare for the pros to play such a short course. For comparison, TPC River Highlands will be the shortest course on the 2024 PGA Tour schedule and played at 6,852 yards for the 2023 Travelers Championship.
“Realistically like in competition? Probably never,” said Bryson DeChambeau of the last time he played a course this short. “In tournament competition, it’s definitely a unique test. There’s a lot of shot shaping you’ve got to have out here, and your iron play has to be on point.”
But don’t get it twisted, just because the holes aren’t as long as usual, some of the league’s biggest hitters are still planning on using driver.
“What’s funny is I can use a driver a couple times out here, actually,” added DeChambeau. “No. 9, 3, 1 if it’s into the wind. There’s a few places where I can actually use it, surprisingly.”
“It kind of all depends on the wind, but I hit quite a few drivers,” echoed Dustin Johnson. “I think it’s a golf course where you hit all your clubs in your bag, and there’s a lot of different ways to play every hole. If you want to hit a lot of drivers you can or you can lay back. It kind of just depends. Like I said, just depending on the wind really.”
A handful of players have history at Hong Kong Golf Club seeing as it has hosted the Asian Tour’s Hong Kong Open since 1959 and will do so once again this year, Nov. 21-24. Cameron Smith was runner-up in 2023, reserve player Wade Ormsby is a two-time winner in 2017 and 2020 and Ian Poulter won way back in 2010.
“I love how this golf course plays. It is really a smart person’s golf course,” said Smith. “It’s a golf course, although it presents a lot of opportunities, you have to be really patient around here, particularly if you’re off the fairway. It can bite you in the bum pretty quick around here, and just need to be smart.”
“The thing is it plays longer than this just because on a lot of tee shots you’re simply not allowed to be hitting drivers, so you’re playing it to a spot. It plays a little bit longer,” explained Jon Rahm. “You have the option of hitting driver if you want, but you’re going to have to be extremely accurate.
“But I’m in the belief that as a player, you have to adjust to the golf course and adjust to the conditions and shoot low, and whoever does that obviously the best is going to succeed. If anything, this type of golf is some of my favorite.”