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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nEast Lake puts a premium on ball-striking and accuracy off the tee, a drastic pivot from last week’s bomb-and-gauge affair at Caves Valley. Nine of the past 13 winners at East Lake finished inside the top-10 in fairways hit for the week. This 7,346-yard Par-70 track forces more long irons on approach than your standard tour stop, and with only two par-5s on the course, including the finishing hole at 18, scoring opportunities are at a premium this week. In addition, the Bermudagrass greens are traditionally fast here, so proximity on approach is vital to one’s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check out Ron<\/a>‘s detailed course preview<\/a> here, but here’s an important tidbit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n East Lake packs plenty of length and requires drives to be hit off most of the tees. That, along with such narrow fairways, are the reason it has an adjusted driving accuracy rate of 62%, which is the eighth toughest on Tour. With the Bermuda rough being the 3rd most penal on Tour, there is a high premium on keeping the ball in the fairway. In fact, player after player has remarked on how that is the most important factor for having success on this course. Obviously, distance off the tee also helps, which makes Total Driving a key stat this week.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n East Lake features one of the largest Greens in Regulation (GIR) differentials when comparing shots from the fairway to the rough. It is very hard to get spin on the ball when it is sitting down in the Bermuda rough. The overall GIR sits at around 63%, which is the 9th lowest out of all of the measured courses. It is also difficult to gain strokes on approach because greens have well-defined target areas. Many of the green complexes are elevated and undulated, making it paramount to position the ball below the pin.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n