Hazeltine a long haul for PGA Championship contenders

CHASKA, Minnesota (Reuters) - Hazeltine is the longest course to host a major, so long that it might actually offer some consolation to shorter hitters on its far-reaching par fives, players said ahead of this week's PGA Championship.

The 7,674-yard, par-72 course has a set of four par-five holes -- often a banquet for power hitters eyeing eagle opportunities. The long Hazeltine quartet, however, are expected to require three shots to reach the green.

"You're not going to have a third of the field going in any of those par fives," Jim Furyk told reporters about trying to reach those greens in two shots. "Might be a little bit of an equalizer."

Phil Mickelson, the 2005 PGA Championship winner, agreed.

"For a lot of people, all four par fives won't be reachable," Mickelson said, singling out the 572-yard seventh hole as offering the only practical assault on an eagle.

Sergio Garcia did not like that aspect of Hazeltine.

"The only downside I can see is the par fives, maybe all of them are too long," the Spaniard said. "It will be nice to have maybe one or two shorter ones that you can go for."

While the big hitters' advantage may be neutralized at the par fives, length still matters at Hazeltine.

It has the longest par three (248 yards), par four (518 yards) and par five (642 yards) to be played at a PGA and heavy rain last weekend has robbed its fairways of roll.

Four-times PGA winner Tiger Woods knows the length and conditions will be a challenge.

"Twelve is over 500 yards," Woods said of the 512-yard, par-four hole.

"I absolutely roasted a driver down there and hit a full three iron in there."

The next hole is a par-three listed at 248 yards.

"Thirteen was a full five wood for me," he added.

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie thought the 12th was too long after playing it into the wind Wednesday.

"I couldn't reach with two woods," he said.

Lee Westwood said hitting fairways was essential.

"It's pretty generous off the tee," remarked Westwood.

"You've got fairway width but if you start missing fairways, obviously the rough is penal. If you hit it good tee to green, you're going to have a few birdie chances."

Rich Beem stunned Woods to win the 2002 PGA at Hazeltine, which then played 7,360 yards. It has since been lengthened by more than 300 yards.

"It's just excessively long and it's nowhere near the same golf course that it was," Beem said.

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)