PGA Championship: Day 1 from Bethpage

Farmingdale, NY

I've been at Bethpage Black since Wednesday morning and I love the place.

I love that it's a public course that is part of a five-course complex.

I love the layout, the trees, the massive bunkers and the sweeping fairways.

I love that it's tough enough to challenge the best golfers in the world.

I'm often tough on the USGA but they deserve credit for bringing the U.S. Open here.

As of late-morning Eastern time, Brooks Koepka leads the field by a stroke and Tiger woods needed birdies on 1 and 2 (his 10th and 11th holes of the day) to get back to one-over.

The course is long and tough but the greens are relatively simple, so the players who can get to the green are often going to have realistic birdie putts.

Wrote about Eden Prairie native and Stillwater High alum Alex Beach in today's paper. I'll be following him this afternoon.

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