Ryder Cup key holes: Serpentine 16th will provide fireworks as matches come down to the wire

The 16th hole at Whistling Straits will prove most pivotal for a few reasons, and maybe none bigger than the order of where it sits on the course, as percentages say that many matches don’t make it to the 17^th tee during the Ryder Cup.

There will be plethora of birdies with a few eagles mixed in  assuming this hole plays similarly to how it did during the 2015 PGA Championship, where it was the easiest hole on the course, playing to an average of 4.62.

Standing on the tee of this 552-yard par 5, most players know they should be able to reach in two with the forecasted wind direction out of the west (from right to left), which adds a little extra pressure to hit the fairway. Playing well away from Lake Michigan which borders the hole down the entirety of the left side, captain Steve Stricker has opened up the right rough corridor to some 40 feet wide where the players can bail out short of the fairway bunkers.

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The more difficult left side is flanked by numerous bunkers just waiting to catch the errant hook off the tee. A layup must be hit to a serpentine fairway where the line and distance must marry to offer the best option for the approach shot.  

For those who are able to fire for the green in two, great scores await and players will be greeted by a fairway lie with the ball slightly above their feet which gives the best opportunity for a nice high draw into the green from 220-250 yards or more. To assist here, the green is similarly canted from right to left with two mounds protruding into the green from just right of greenside. 

This allows the freedom to aim down the right side and away from trouble and allowing the natural contours to move the ball towards the hole as it bounds onto the putting surface. This avoids taking the risk of hugging the more dangerous left side of the hole, where it only gets more difficult the closer the player gets to the green.  

All in all, there should be plenty of fireworks at the scoreable 16^th.  We just might see a few eagles to close out matches here accompanied with the traditional high-decibel roars we have become accustomed to over the years.

Steve Scott is the Director of Instruction for Golfweek and the author of the book “Hey, Tiger – you need to move your mark back,” released earlier this year (Skyhorse Publishing, $19.99). It’s available at movethatback.com. Aside from leading our lessons, Scott is also the PGA head golf professional at the Outpost Club, founder of the Silver Club Golfing Society and a PGA Tour Live analyst.