The world's top players will have to tackle the longest course in majors history when Medinah Country Club hosts this year's US PGA Championship.
A 7,401-yard layout when it staged the 1999 US PGA Championship won by Tiger Woods, the par-72 number three course at Medinah has been stretched to 7,561 yards for the August 17th-20th tournament.
Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin, was previously the longest major venue, playing 7,514 yards off the back tees when it hosted the 2004 US PGA Championship.
"When the players return here, they're going to really see a different golf course, a golf course that really has more definition," course architect Rees Jones said.
In a restoration project that began in 2002, Jones removed 300 trees, added new tees or enlarged existing ones, rebuilt some of the greens and redesigned several of the greenside bunkers.
"We have classic, old-style, sculptured bunkers, which have much more character," Jones added.
"The bunkers are deeper, the green contours and sizes of the seven greens that we did are complementary to the greens that were originally here.
"I'm very pleased with the results."
Woods clinched the second major victory of his career by a shot at Medinah in 1999, holding off a late charge by the Spaniard Sergio Garcia.
Garcia fired a closing 71 that featured a stunning second shot from behind a tree on the 16th hole.
Medinah Country Club has also staged three US Opens - in 1949, 1975 and 1990 - and the 1988 US Senior Open.
World number two Phil Mickelson, who won his third major victory at the US Masters on Sunday, will defend his USPGA Championship crown at Medinah.
The American left-hander, who triumphed at the weekend on the third-longest layout in major history, won the 2005 US PGA Championship at Baltusrol by a stroke.
Medinah 7,561 yards 2006 US PGA Championship
Whistling Straits 7,514 yards 2004 US PGA Championship
Augusta National 7,445 yards 2006 US Masters
Columbine 7,436 yards 1967 US PGA Championship
Carnoustie 7,361 yards 1999 British Open
Hazeltine 7,360 yards 2002 US PGA Championship
Crooked Stick 7,295 yards 1991 US PGA Championship
