CHASKA, Minn. – Ariya Jutanugarn rarely puts driver in her bag, but she’s seriously considering it at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship this week.
Jutanugarn hit her driver in practice rounds and liked the advantage it gives her on the long setup at Hazeltine National Golf Club.
“I am going to wait and see how it’s set up tomorrow,” Jutanugarn said. “If the tees are like they’ve been in practice, I may need driver to go for the par 5s.”
Hazeltine is set up at 6,807 yards on the scorecard. It’s a par 72 with some long par 5s. The third hole is 568 yards, the 11th is 555 yards.
Jutanugarn is one of the LPGA’s longest hitters, but she plays almost exclusively with a 3-wood, a 2-iron and a 3-iron in her bag to take care of her tee shots at par 4s and par 5s.
“I practice with the driver every week, but it just depends on whether the course sets up for it,” Jutanugarn said.
Jutanugarn, 23, is seeking to win her 11th LPGA title, her third major. Her last victory came nearly 11 months ago, at the Ladies Scottish Open. She’s coming off a T-5 finish at the ShopRite Classic in her last start, which was her third top-10 in 13 starts this season.