Course knowledge no problem for these folk

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bruced
August 10, 2017

Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Thomas Pieters will all make their debuts at Quail Hollow for the PGA Championship on Thursday, but none of them are too fazed.

Koepka, the reigning US Open champion, revealed it's more a matter of form and less a matter of course management to be in contention come Sunday afternoon.

"Course knowledge makes it a lot easier on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but other than that it's not really a big advantage," the American told pgatour.com.

"By the time you tee off, everyone knows the golf course, everyone knows what everything does, I don't see an issue with it.

"I've played plenty of golf courses before where guys have had years of experience and it's just a matter of who gets hot."

Meanwhile, Rahm will be relying heavily on his caddie Adam Hayes, who lives a short distance from the Charlotte course.

"I don't feel like I am behind, not at all," revealed the Spaniard.

"I am more of a person who focusses on where to hit it, I don't like to know where not to hit it because then it will be on my mind.

"The back nine, my caddie just said hit it there and I did. I didn't ask where anything is. I just trust him. You see the obvious. Sometimes knowing too much can be detrimental."

European Tour star Thomas Pieters debuted at Augusta earlier this year off the back of little practice and impressed with a T4 finish. Not bad for his first Masters…

"I did well at the Masters and barely played 18 holes," confirmed the 25-year-old.

"To me, it is just a golf course. You get it around. I sprayed it all over the place at Firestone but you just find a way to par when you can.

"When I am in fairways I have confidence my ball striking is good enough to go at any flag and the fairways are a bit wider this week. And maybe they can overthink where not to hit it. I have a clear mind."

The 99th PGA Championship, the final major of the year, tees off at Quail Hollow on Thursday.