Marc Leishman is gearing up for the last major of the current PGA tour.
WARRNAMBOOL golfer Marc Leishman says a wide and long South Carolina course could benefit him in this week’s PGA Championship.
Leishman will tee off in the $8 million event at Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s ocean course on Thursday hoping to enhance his profile among golf’s elite.
The 72-hole championship is the last major of the year on the PGA tour and follows the US Open, US Masters and British Open.
Leishman had returned from playing nine holes at the course, which measures 7199 metres and is among the toughest in the US, when he spoke to The Standard.
He will have two more practice rounds before round one, but said his early impression was the course would favour his game.
“It’s a good golf course, pretty tough. It’s long but seems pretty good,” he said.
“I think it’s going to get pretty windy. There are no trees on it, it’s pretty exposed.
“That’ll be fun. It’ll be interesting. The weather is going to have a lot to do with it, whether a score under par wins or whether a high score wins.
“The length will help (me) and it’s reasonably wide off the tee. If you can keep it on the fairways, it’s a big advantage.
“They’re going to be hard greens to get on to out of the rough. Here I think the big hitters will have more of an advantage.”
Leishman, 28, said he was entering the championship hitting the ball reasonably well, with one poor round proving damaging in recent tour events.
He finished tied for 45th in the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio, last week, with a five-over-par 285.
A final-round three-over-par 73 was a lowlight in an otherwise solid display.
Leishman said golfers would battle 40-degree conditions this week, meaning conserving energy and fitting in enough practice was a balancing act.
He said his breakthrough PGA tour victory, at the Travelers Championship in June, had allowed him to reset his tour goals.
“A good week for me would be if I can contend. I’ve got that experience under the belt and the next step is to contend in a major,” he said.
The PGA Tour has seven events remaining after this weekend, but Leishman said he would only play in four.
He will head to Asia for two more events before returning to Australia in December.
afawkes@standard.fairfax.com.au