US PGA Championship: Jon Rahm wants Kiawah Island to use forward tees for players' 'sanity'

Jon Rahm "smoking' his tee shot on the 230-yard par-three 17th at Kiawah Island

Jon Rahm wants officials at this week's US PGA Championship to use forward tees for "the sanity" of all the players.

If played to its maximum length of 7,876 yards, Kiawah Island's Ocean Course will regain its title as the longest in major championship history.

It played 7,676 yards when Rory McIlroy won the 2012 PGA, with US Open venues Chambers Bay (7,695 in 2015) and Erin Hills (7,741 in 2017) overtaking it.

Players have been told forward tees are likely to be used on some holes.

"Seriously, I hope so, because yesterday (Monday) from 14 on, I think the shortest iron I hit into a green was a five iron," said Rahm. "I'm not usually the shortest hitter.

"I was playing with Zach Johnson and I think he pulled a head cover on every single hole except the par-five 16th, coming into the green. For the sake of our sanity, I believe they're going to use a couple forward tees."

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The Spanish world number three added: "On the [par-three] 17th I smoked a two-iron to just carry it over the water.

"It's extremely difficult. That's all I can say. Any time you have 230 yards into the wind over water into a narrow target, it's just not easy. I'm hoping we don't play it back there every day, otherwise it's going to be a challenging week."

When asked if the course would be set up to its maximum yardage, PGA of America chief championships officer Kerry Haigh said: "It'll totally depend on mother nature.

"We'll make that decision each morning as we set it up. Hopefully it'll be fun and fair."

The huge sandy areas around the course will not be treated as bunkers, meaning players will be able to ground clubs and take practice swings, while distance-measuring devices are also being permitted for the first time.

"We have allowed them for a number of years in our other championships," Haigh added. "We feel potentially here it can certainly help if you hit the ball off line, which occasionally could happen. That potentially will help the speed of play.

"But obviously we realise the yardage book and the other information that the caddies and the players learn over the practice rounds will still be just as important as it ever was."

Pressure off for Rahm

Rahm, 26, says he forgets the pressure of chasing his first major title when he is holding his six-week old son Kepa.

Rahm finished in a tie for fifth at last month's Masters, just days after Kepa was born. It was his sixth top-10 finish in a major, his best of those being third at the 2019 US Open.

"I'm here to do a job, I'm here to practice, I'm here to play, and then once I'm done with my whole day, it's dad time, which at the same time is wonderful," Rahm said.

"I get home and I forget about what's going on around me. I forget that we are at Kiawah Island, I forget that we are at a major, and I forget what the mission is. It's also really refreshing for the mind."

Spieth chases career Grand Slam

Jordan Spieth has won the Masters, US Open and the Open Championship

Jordan Spieth has the chance to become the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam of winning all four majors this week but says it is not weighing on his mind.

"It's not, it's not," said the American former world number one, who won the Masters and US Open in 2015 and The Open in 2017. "I think as we get into the weekend, if I'm able to work my way into contention, it's something that'll obviously be asked, and it's something I certainly want.

"You go to a major and for me at this point, I wanted to win the Masters as badly as I ever have this year. Didn't happen. I want to win this one as badly as I ever have. Once you move on to the US Open, the same.

"Majors, that's what we're trying to peak for. I feel like I'll have a lot of chances at this tournament and if I just focus on trying to take advantage of this golf course, play it the best I can and kind of stay in the same form tee to green I've been in, all I can ask for is a chance."

Spieth fell to 92nd in the world rankings following a missed cut in his first event of the season, but the 27-year-old claimed his first victory since the 2017 Open in Texas last month and has climbed to 26th in the standings.

"I think it shapes kind of who I am," added Spieth. "I've proven to be very human. It's kind of fun. When I'm on, when I've been on in the past, I've won tournaments by eight shots out here, and that's obviously the goal."

Meanwhile, fellow American Brooks Koepka admits he is up to six months away from full fitness following surgery on 16 March to deal with a knee cap dislocation and ligament damage.

"I can play. You're never 100%, that's the thing," said the four-time major winner who claimed this title in 2018 and 2019. "For two straight years, it's been left knee, right knee, herniated a disk in my neck… played through that.

"I can deal with the pain. That's not an issue. It's just a matter of being able to hit shots that I want to hit and do things I want to do, and I'm starting to be able to do that. Even though I'm not 100%, I can still hit the shots."