The Fortinet Threat Score has helped identify the key holes for players competing in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.
As one of the biggest events of the year in world golf, the Rolex Series tournament is circled on golf fan’s calendars every year.
To win the DP World Tour event, the world’s best players will have to deftly navigate the three toughest holes on the golf course: 1, 3 and 15.
Last year, Shane Lowry played those holes in two under par, part of a brilliant, bogey-free 54 hole performance to edge out fellow Ryder Cup teammates Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm by a single stroke.
Let’s take a deeper look at this week’s Fortinet Threat Score holes, and what makes them such a stern test.
Hole 3 (Par 4, 459 yds)
Difficulty Rank: 1st
Averaging more than one-third of a stroke over par, the third hole at Wentworth is historically the most difficult on the golf course. With bunkers protecting both sides of the landing area in this fairway, missing your target off the tee results in an average penalty of 0.44 strokes. The real statistical teeth of this hole, though, are shown with the approach shot. Less than 41 percent of players find this green with their approach, the lowest rate of any hole on the course.
Those who do find the green in two are handsomely rewarded. Players who hit the third green in regulation will gain 0.4 strokes on the field, the second-highest value of any hole at Wentworth. The sloped putting surface is a test for even the world’s best players: at 1.93 putts per G.I.R., this is the second most difficult green to putt on the course.
Hole 1 (Par 4, 473 yds)
Difficulty Rank: 2nd
The opening hole at Wentworth is no friendly handshake, averaging about one-third of a stroke over par in years past. Club selection on the opening tee shot can depend on wind direction: players can choose to run their drive down the hill, or lay back to leave themselves a flatter, more predictable lie. Only 50.2% of players hit this fairway, the second-lowest rate on the course. However, with an average cost of just 0.3 strokes, this is the least penalizing fairway to miss on the property.
Approach shots at the first hole average more than 47 feet away, the largest distance on the golf course. It’s no surprise, then, that this hole also yields the highest rate of putts per green in regulation at Wentworth – 1.95. The last five winners of the BMW PGA Championship have combined to play this difficult starting hole in just one over par.
Hole 15 (Par 4, 491 yds)
Difficulty Rank: 3rd
The most difficult hole on the back nine is the 15th, a par four that has traditionally averaged about three-tenths of a stroke over par. While the ideal approach angle is from the right side of the fairway, water protects from players being overly aggressive in that regard. Players who miss the 15th fairway lose more than half-a-stroke on average to the field, the third-highest penalty on the course.
The average approach shot into this green is 194.5 yards, the second-longest at Wentworth. Players who are able to find the green with their second shot receive a big reward, gaining 0.42 strokes over those who do not. A green that slopes from right to left has yielded an average putts per G.I.R. rate of 1.88, fifth-highest on the golf course.
Players to Watch
In 27 career rounds at Wentworth, Matt Fitzpatrick has played the three toughest holes on the course brilliantly, gaining 0.26 strokes on the field per hole played. Tyrrell Hatton isn’t far behind on that particular leaderboard, gaining 0.18 strokes per hole, fourth-best of any player with ten or more rounds recorded. Both men will be in the field this week, just two weeks away from representing Europe at the Ryder Cup in Rome.
Speaking of Italy, the player with the most career strokes gained on the 1st, 3rd and 15th holes at Wentworth is 2018 BMW PGA Championship winner Francesco Molinari. In his career at this championship, he’s picked up 26.8 strokes on the competition on those three holes alone.
Check out the Fortinet Threat Score every week in our course stats section once play is under way.
