Medinah teaching pro Eva Rogers says the 2026 Presidents Cup’s tee-shot choices can help amateurs plan around their actual carry distance, typical shot pattern and hazards they cannot safely challenge. A shorter club may be wiser than risking a bunker.
Rogers says a golfer who carries a driver about 230 yards should treat a bunker starting at 245 as in play, rather than planning around occasional 250-yard drives; a wood or hybrid may be more repeatable. She suggests practicing with different clubs and simulated fairway edges and hazards, while tracking shot spread.
OCM Golf’s renovation created wider areas and multiple ways to play Medinah’s holes. Challenging a bunker may improve the position for the next shot; playing safely away can mean less distance or a worse angle into the green. Rogers says the trade-off applies to amateurs at their own distances.
