Billy Horschel claimed victory in the BMW Championship to win the third leg of the FedEx Cup on Sunday by a comfortable two-stroke margin over Bubba Watson.
Cherry Hills Country Club gave up its fair share of birdies throughout the tournament, but its rough proved to be a good test for the best players in the world.
The rough especially showed its teeth on Sunday, as players struggled with their approach shots from the tall, thick grass.
Horschel easily could have fallen victim to the rough Sunday when nearly 50 percent of his drives found the tall stuff, but he was able to escape and salvage the victory.
Here are some tips to help you escape the rough and put yourself in position to score:
• Beware of the flyer. When your ball finds the rough, you can experience a variety of different lies that require different plans of attack. Occasionally the ball will sit up in the rough creating what is called a flyer lie. Use a more-lofted club than normal in this situation, as the ball will likely come out fast and with little spin.
• Adjust your angle of attack. If the ball is sitting down in the rough, you will need to attempt to hit down on the ball to reduce the amount of grass that gets between the ball and the clubface. One way to increase attack angle (hit down on the ball), is to keep more weight on your lead leg, the left leg for right-handed golfers, throughout the swing.
• When in doubt, play it safe. Most players get in trouble by being too aggressive in the rough, often resulting in shots that miss their targets or even worse stay in the rough. If the ball is swallowed up by tall grass, there is no shame in taking a lofted club like a pitching or sand wedge and simply getting the ball back in the fairway.
For more tips from Golf Channel to help you escape trouble, click here.
